'Trump is a racist' SC candidate says in new video

Rather than focus on the other candidates in South Carolina's governor's race, one candidate is aiming her fire directly at President Donald Trump.

Democratic candidate Marguerite Willis called Trump a racist in a new online video released Tuesday.

"There's no doubt in my mind that Trump is a racist," Willis says in the video. "He's a horrible racist. He's the worst kind of racist, which is a racist who pretends he isn't racist."

The 30-second YouTube spot also highlights Trump's history of vulgar comments about women and allegations of sexual assault against the president.

"How could we elect someone who says such horrible things about women?" she says. "How could we elect anybody who says that once they got in power, they could take advantage of women, sexually and otherwise."

As Willis speaks, text rolls over the screen saying "Marguerite Willis will protect us from Trump," and "taking on Trump."

The Florence attorney has said the election of Trump is what spurred her to run for public office.

Trump won South Carolina by 15 points in the 2016 presidential election but remains deeply unpopular with the Democratic voters likely to turn out for a party primary.

At the end of the video, Willis turns her attention back to the race in South Carolina.

"We don't need any racists or sexists or any person else who doesn't believe everyone is a person of dignity running our country or our state," she said.

Willis faces Charleston businessman Phil Noble and state Rep. James Smith, D-Richland, in the June 12 Democratic primary.

Noble pushed back later Tuesday, saying Willis's ad isn't focusing on South Carolina.

“I wholeheartedly agree with Marguerite’s take on Trump," Noble said in a statement. "But our next Governor’s biggest challenges will not come from him, but from a corrupt Legislature and (Gov. Henry) McMaster cronies who have helped perpetuate minority poverty, left us 50th in the nation in education, and failed to take a stand for our environment or against the NRA.

"That’s why I’m running and those are my main areas of focus,” he said.

A Willis campaign spokesman said the ad is part of a digital campaign stretching over several weeks. The campaign did not specify how much the spot cost.

This story was originally published April 3, 2018 at 1:58 PM with the headline "'Trump is a racist' SC candidate says in new video."