Columbia, Nov 26: Donald Trump used college football rivalry weekend to bask among his supporters in a state and region that are key to his presidential fortunes, while trying to upstage his Republican opponent Nikki Haley on her home turf at the Clemson-South Carolina football game.
The former president and current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday night to chants of “We want Trump! We want Trump!” from fans gathered for the annual Palmetto Bowl, the state’s biggest sporting event of the year.
Haley, a Clemson alumna and trustee who was twice elected South Carolina governor, did not attend.
Trump was a guest of Governor Henry McMaster, Haley’s successor.
The entourage, which entered through a veritable tunnel of Trump supporters on its way to a private suite, also included South Carolina’s senior US Senator Lindsey Graham, giving the former president a show of local political force at a game featuring Haley’s alma mater, Clemson, where she is also a member of the board of trustees.
Hours before kickoff, Trump’s campaign announced that he had been endorsed by “more South Carolina legislators than all opposing candidates combined”, including new backing from six state lawmakers who had previously supported US Senator Tim Scott. (AP)
