4 things to watch for Monday during president Trump's visit to the Midlands
When President Donald Trump visits the Midlands Monday, traffic should not be disrupted. But your flight could be a delayed a few minutes.
Trump will be in town to boost the GOP runoff campaign of Gov. Henry McMaster, an ally. Outside the rally, there will be protesters. Meanwhile, inside Airport High School, those attending can expect the president to leave his script frequently.
Four things to look for Monday:
Traffic impact should be slight
Luckily for most motorists, heavy traffic should not be a problem on most Columbia-area roads and highways. The Cayce Police Department does anticipate some road delays and blocked streets near Airport High School.
Officials at Columbia Metropolitan Airport say it should be a normal day. Some flights will be grounded when Air Force One lands and takes off, but officials say that if any delays occur, they should be brief.
Protesters plan to gather early
Not all South Carolinians are planning to support President Trump when he visits.
An activist group, Indivisible Midlands, plans to protest near Airport High, where the rally in support of McMaster is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. McMaster is in a runoff Tuesday with Greenville businessman John Warren for the GOP nomination for governor.
Protesters are expected to gather at 4 p.m. on Boston Avenue, between Airport High School and R. H. Fulmer Middle School.
A Facebook group for the protest, dubbed "Columbia's #FamouslyHot Trump Protest," says at least 350 protesters plan to attend.
"One of the most cherished foundations of our nation is the First Amendment to our Constitution," said Julie Edwards, Indivisible Midlands' co-chair.
"At a time where we are starting to see safeguards to our democratic institutions eroding, our group felt it was important to exercise that right to dissent. We want the president and the nation as a whole to see that many hardworking, good people in the Palmetto State do not support him or his regressive policies."
Trump will leave script during his speech
If you have never been to a Trump rally before — or seen one on TV — they are unlike most political stump speeches.
While his staff may tailor Trump's speeches to last no more than 30 minutes, Trump is known to stretch them out for an hour or longer as he leaves the script to discuss various topics.
And the topics Trump covers can be extensive. For instance, Wednesday night in Duluth, Minn., Trump spoke about his North Korea summit, former presidential campaign rival Hillary Clinton, the Russia investigation and immigration. Trump also took a few minutes to praise a Minnesota congressional candidate.
His S.C. audience and viewers should expect some of the same Monday, including a few minutes highlighting McMaster's campaign for governor.
How you can watch
If you are not planning to attend Monday's rally, there are options to watch on TV or online.
Reporters at The State newspaper will be live blogging the visit on thestate.com. WIS-TV will air the rally on TV and post a stream to its website and Facebook. A stream can also be found on S.C. ETV's website, Facebook and YouTube.
Viewers likely can expect all the major cable news networks to cover at least part of the rally or stream it online.
This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 5:08 PM with the headline "4 things to watch for Monday during president Trump's visit to the Midlands."