Wheels on the ground: President Trump arrives in SC

Air Force One landed in Greenville at 5:23 p.m., bringing President Donald Trump to the Palmetto State for a fundraiser for South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

After exiting Air Force One at Spartanburg International Airport, Trump was greeted at the base of the stairs by Gov. McMaster, his wife and their two adult children.

Trump then took his time greeting people lined up to see the president. Flanked by Secret Service guards, Trump shook hands, signed autographs and was photographed at the airport before entering a limo as part of the presidential motorcade to take him to the fundraiser at 5:43 p.m.

Minutes later, the motorcade stopped and Trump went out to shake hands with the 100 or supporters, according to a pool report.

On Twitter, Trump expressed pleasure with his visit.

“Always great to see the wonderful people of South Carolina. Thank you for the beautiful welcome at Greenville-Spartanburg Int'l Airport!” Trump tweeted.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham rode on Air Force One with the president. The senior senator from S.C. has become a Trump confidant lately, golfing twice with the president at his Virginia course.

According to a pool report, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson also accompanied Trump on Air Force One for the trip to S.C.

Trump’s visit is seen as a thank you or reward to McMaster, who was one of his first supporters during the presidential campaign. At that time, McMaster was S.C.’s lieutenant governor, and ascended to the governor’s chair when Trump asked Nikki Haley to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

The fundraiser is a $250-per-plate dinner event at the Embassy Suites hotel and golf resort in Greenville. Up to 1,200 people are expected to attend the fundraiser. The event will also feature a VIP reception for corporate donors and large individual donors to McMaster’s campaign.

Trump’s motorcade arrived at the event just before 6:10 p.m. and he’s scheduled to speak at 6:50 p.m.

There were occasional groups of spectators photographing or taking video of the motorcade with their phones, according to a pool report. One man waved a U.S. flag, all with a Greenville County Sheriff's Office helicopter circling overhead.

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Wheels on the ground: President Trump arrives in SC."