Here’s how Trump could affect South Carolina

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed sweeping changes in immigration, foreign trade, infrastructure spending and many other issues. His proposals could affect South Carolina’s economy, the state’s military bases and the political landscape.

Here’s a look at eight ways Trump could impact the Palmetto State.

Jobs

South Carolina’s job base is led by manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.

Trump’s stand on immigration — making it more difficult for foreign workers to enter the country and perhaps even expelling illegal workers — could hurt the farming, hospitality and construction industries, which are dependent on foreign workers.

His threats to clamp down on free trade could also affect jobs in the state’s manufacturing sector, as the state is export heavy. For example, in 2015, the state’s export sales totaled $30.9 billion, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Trade

South Carolina is the leading manufacturer and exporter of tires in the U.S., and the state also makes a wide variety of products from luxury cars to airliners. Most of those goods are sold overseas.

Also, the Port of Charleston is a key engine powering the state’s economy.

If Trump raises tariffs or ignites a trade war, it could hurt the cost of goods flowing out of the state, and raise the cost of parts flowing in.

Politics

Before he has even taken office, Trump has had a powerful impact on the political landscape in the Palmetto State.

His nomination of Gov. Nikki Haley as United Nations ambassador has set off a domino effect. If she is confirmed as expected, Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster would become governor. McMaster’s ascension would surely impact the 2018 gubernatorial race if he decides to run as the incumbent.

Trump’s nomination of U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-Indian Land, as director of the Office of Management and Budget has opened up the 5th Congressional District seat.

Military

Trump has said he opposes sequestration, the looming automatic budget cuts created by the 2011 debt-ceiling fight.

If he can help reverse the cuts in the Budget Control Act of 2011, Trump could avert the need for another round of Base Realignment and Closure, called BRAC, that threatens military jobs in South Carolina.

However, Trump is an unknown quantity to the military, and his assertion that he knows “more than the generals” about how to deal with ISIS didn’t bolster much military confidence.

Obamacare

Trump, like the Republican Party as a whole, has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which provides health insurance for about 300,000 South Carolinians.

Also under the act, college students and young people can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until age 26.

If Trump and the Republicans are successful in repealing Obamacare — which they can certainly do with majorities in both houses — the question becomes what replaces it.

Infrastructure

According to his website, Trump wants to create a “visionary plan” for a system of roads, bridges and other infrastructure “that would make President Dwight D. Eisenhower” proud. As president, Eisenhower was a major advocate for the nation’s interstate system.

South Carolina has been grappling with how to fix its crumbling roads and bridges. Haley said it was to be her No. 1 priority. But with Haley at the U.N. and McMaster not talking, what the future might hold for the state’s infrastructure is uncertain.

Any Trump-supported infrastructure money from the federal government would likely be embraced here.

Auto industry

Trump was less than kind to German industry officials, saying car manufacturers — including BMW, which has a major manufacturing plant in Greer — could face tariffs of up to 35 percent if they set up plants in Mexico instead of in the United States and try to export the cars here.

Such tariffs would make the American auto industry “worse, weaker and more expensive,” Sigmar Gabriel, Germany’s economy minister, told a German newspaper.

With BMW, Chrysler Daimler and soon Volvo all building cars in South Carolina, Trump’s verbal tilt with foreign automakers could have ripple effects here.

Political culture

Trump’s anti-establishment, anti-immigration, “drain the swamp” rhetoric played well in South Carolina, where he easily won both the Republican primary and the general election.

South Carolina has a strong Tea Party bent, and Trump’s ascension to power could have coattails into local politics. Trump’s nomination of two prominent South Carolinians – Haley to the U.N. and Mulvaney to OMB – could help cement that influence. And it doesn’t hurt that McMaster was Trump’s most influential supporter in the state.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Here’s how Trump could affect South Carolina."