Trump’s Columbia visit wraps with praise of HBCUs and reform, peaceful demonstrations
President Donald Trump spoke for nearly an hour during his first official visit to a historically black college or university, Columbia’s Benedict College.
The event, the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum, highlighted criminal justice reform. Trump touted the success of the First Step Act, which has resulted in the release of hundreds of federal prisoners, while also praising African American achievement and HBCUs.
Trump supporters and protesters gathered peacefully throughout the day in Columbia. While a few Benedict College students were invited to attend the president’s speech, most students were asked to remain in their dorm rooms during the president’s visit, students told reporters.
Below, see how the full day unfolded in Columbia, including highlights from President Trump’s speech:
4:20 p.m.: Air Force One departs Columbia airport
Want to know more about the First Step Act?
In his speech at Benedict College, President Trump touted the success of the First Step Act, a bill with bipartisan support that Trump signed into law last December. The act has resulted in prison sentence reductions for more than 1,600 federal inmates, including 112 from South Carolina.
A major goal of the law was to address sentencing disparities between whites and blacks charged with the same kinds of drug offenses.
Find out more here about the First Step Act and about Tenesha Bannister, a Columbia resident and former inmate who joined President Trump during his speech at Benedict.
3:40 p.m.: Praise for HBCUs and the legacy of Benedict College
Trump touted his administration’s increase of federal funding for historically black colleges and universities.
“My administration will always treasure and protect HBCUs like Benedict College,” he said. “This has been an incredible institution.”
Trump ended his speech around 3:40 p.m. and walked off the stage to a recording of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
3:30 p.m.: President jabs at Democrats
Trump said that “Democratic policies have let African Americans down and taken them for granted,” and he reminded the crowd that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.
He also criticized the ongoing impeachment inquiry against him while saying he “will always fight against abuses of power from any source.”
3:15 p.m.: Formerly incarcerated women join Trump on stage
The president shared his stage with Alice Marie Johnson and Tenesha Bannister, two women who were formerly incarcerated and were released as a result of the First Step Act.
“Criminal justice reform is not a partisan issue,” said Johnson, who was released from prison after 21 years after earning the attention of celebrity Kim Kardashian, who appealed to Trump on her behalf.
“It was because of (the First Step Act) that I was able to reunite with my family,” said Bannister, who pointed to her son with her in the crowd. “If it wasn’t for you, Mr. President, I would still be serving five years in prison.”
Trump went on to advocate for the hiring of ex-inmates during his speech.
The city of Columbia and Richland County recently adopted “Ban the Box” policies to omit questions about criminal history from applications for local government employment.
3 p.m.: ‘African Americans have given their blood, sweat and tears for this nation’
Although criminal justice reform was not a theme of his presidential campaign initially, Trump said, he has fought for “this forgotten community.”
“It was the right thing to do,” Trump said.
Trump spoke about equality and said that “our rights come from God.”
He touted the achievements of African Americans in the country’s history.
“African Americans have given their blood, sweat and tears for this nation,” he said.
Trump also praised HBCUs and complimented the Benedict College campus — “I go a lot of places. This is one of the nicer ones. Do you mind if we come back?”
Before kicking off his speech on criminal justice reform, Trump spoke graciously of his South Carolina allies, including S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and others. He also thanked Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who has been critical of the president.
Trump also offered condolences to the family of U.S. Rep Elijah Cummings, whose funeral was held in Baltimore today.
2:40 p.m.: President Trump receives Bipartisan Justice Award onstage at Benedict
Matthew Charles, a former prisoner who was released under the First Step Act, introduced President Trump at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum.
“I would not be a free man today if President Donald J. Trump had not supported and signed the First Step Act,” said Charles, who described Trump as “a champion of criminal justice reform.”
Here is more information about the First Step Act.
Trump thanked Benedict College students and President Roslyn Clark Artis for welcoming him.
“We’re thrilled to be on your campus and to celebrate all we have achieved together,” Trump said.
2 p.m.: Pro- and anti-Trump crowds are gathered as president travels to Benedict
Trump supporters gathered outside Benedict College with a variety of signs, including “Stop harassment of Trump” and “Welcome Pres. Trump.”
Mary Anne Oliver of Fairfield County came to Benedict to say “thank you” to President Trump.
“I’m very happy with this president,” she said. “Business, investment, jobs, that’s what I voted for. In Fairfield, there are people who just sit under a tree and don’t have jobs. Now we’ve got business coming in.”
If you haven’t gotten what you want out of Trump yet, Oliver added, “you will in the next four years.”
Crowds of supporters began to overlap with protesters as the presidential motorcade traveled toward downtown Columbia.
Minutes earlier, at the moment Air Force One was landing in Columbia, the S.C. Democratic Party staged a press conference not far from Benedict College.
“The fact is he is coming to this college today to create an appearance that people of color support his campaign,” S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson said. He donned an “Impeach” shirt.
Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine also spoke at the Democratic protest before the crowd marched toward Benedict.
“He is welcome if he would be here for real, genuine reasons,” Devine said. “If you’re coming for a photo op ... then you should not be here.”
1:50 p.m.: How to watch the president’s remarks
The White House will livestream President Trump’s speech at Benedict College. We’ll share the video right here.
The president is tentatively scheduled to begin speaking at Benedict around 2:15 p.m. His motorcade left the airport runway about 1:50 p.m.
You’ll also be able to find the live video of Trump’s speech here.
1:35 p.m.: Air Force One touches down in Columbia
The president has landed. His motorcade will begin the roughly 10-mile drive to Benedict College, where the president is scheduled to speak at about 2:15 p.m.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott were among those gathered at the tarmac to greet the president.
1:20 p.m.: Supporters eagerly await Trump’s arrival
Excitement swelled among Trump supporters gathered in a pen along the tarmac, as the president was expected to arrive any moment at the Eagle Aviation landing strip beside Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
The crowd included babies, older people in wheelchairs and teenagers snapping selfies. They were chatty and giddy. One woman donned American flag-printed leggings.
Earlier, Trump supporters had already begun to gather outside of Benedict College.
1 p.m.: Benedict students react to Trump’s visit to their school
Some Benedict students told reporters they had been instructed to remain inside their dorms during Trump’s visit.
“Dorm leaders are in control of who gets out,” Benedict student Elise Cornelison said. She is a freshman from Richmond, Calif.
Benedict sophomore Nia Byas, 20, joined a protest group on Taylor Street ahead of Trump’s arrival.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I stayed in my dorm,” she said. She said she thought it was “inappropriate” for Trump to visit a historically black college. “He knows nothing about social justice,” she said. “I feel like he’s just trying to antagonize us.”
The president’s speech will be accessible by invitation only. Only about 10 out of the expected 300 attendees will be Benedict students.
“HBCUs are always used as a platform to go against the black agenda,” Cornelison said. “For black supporters of Trump, I’m sorry for you. If you’re in Trump’s side, you’ll never fit in.”
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12:50 p.m.: Presidential motorcade arrives at airport
12:30 p.m.: Protesters set stage for Trump’s arrival
The president’s arrival in Columbia will be met by a number of protest groups staged near Benedict College and a couple miles away at the S.C. State House.
A contingent organized by the S.C. Democratic Party planned to convene at the local headquarters of Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker on Taylor Street, not far from the college. They planned to march down Taylor Street to Harden Street, where the college is located.
Some of them held up a large sign reading, “Trump A National Disgrace.” It drew honks from passing cars.
A handful of people were gathered around noon at Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ campaign headquarters on Blanding Street. There, they waited for the distribution of “baby” Trump balloons, which have been famously deployed at Trump protests around the world. The balloons had not yet arrived by 12:30 p.m.
Perry Bradley is the founder of Building Better Communities, which is one of the organizations protesting Trump’s visit
He’s critical of how closed off the Benedict event is compared to Obama’s in 2015. About 300 people are expected to attend Trump’s speech, by invitation only. Very few Benedict students were invited to attend.
“I might like something you say, but if you’re not willing to talk to people, how can I find out?” Bradley said. “If you truly want people to vote for you, you’ve got to open the door.”
Bradley also criticized Trump’s “lynching” comment in reference to the ongoing impeachment inquiry against him. “That’s so distasteful,” Bradley said. “You’ve gotten away with so many things.”
Barricades were erected at the State House on Gervais Street, though no protesters had arrived by noon.
11:50 a.m.: Trump supporters gather to welcome president at Columbia airport
Ahead of the president’s arrival in South Carolina’s capital, Trump supporters lined up at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
About 100 people were gathered just before noon, including S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson and state Rep. Micah Caskey, both Republicans. A bomb squad was checking vehicles on the tarmac, and and supporters were being swept by security.
A large American flag was draped inside the hangar just off the tarmac, where folks peered out at the landing strip.
Air Force One’s arrival is expected around 1:20 p.m.
Trump supporters were also gathering outside of Benedict College in anticipation of the president’s arrival.
Here’s what else you should know about Trump’s visit to Columbia:
What to expect
Hours before the president was scheduled to arrive in Columbia, the White House announced Trump would be receiving the Bipartisan Justice Award on Friday.
Around 300 people are expected to attend the Trump event at Benedict’s Swinton Campus Center — but very few of the invited guests are expected to be Benedict students. At least 10 Benedict students will be in attendance, according to a Benedict spokesperson. About half of the invitations to the event have been reserved for guests of the Trump administration, while the other half are being extended locally.
About the forum
The Second Step Presidential Justice Forum is part of a two-day event hosted by the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center and Benedict College. Co-hosts include Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, the National Black Police Association, the African American Mayors Association, local elected officials with the National Black Caucus and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
Saturday and Sunday will feature Democratic presidential hopefuls.
On your commute
With any presidential visit comes heightened security and, with that, traffic.
Expect traffic from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Highway 302 to be stopped early Friday afternoon as the presidential motorcade passes through Lexington County on its way to Columbia, Lexington County Sheriff’s spokesman Adam Myrick said.
For Trump’s motorcade to get to Benedict, he must cross the Congaree River, so expect delays. Drivers also should expect to see roads closed “at various points” between the airport and Benedict College on Harden Street, Myrick added.
Road closures in the Columbia area are not expected to last long, said Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons.
Stay updated
We’ll have live updates throughout the day on Trump’s visit — from the time Air Force One touches down to the time it leaves again — and Columbia’s reactions to it. South Carolina’s Republican and Democratic parties and other groups are planning demonstrations in support of and opposition to the president’s stop.
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
