Politics & Government

Trump plans return to South Carolina later this month. Here’s where and when

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Silver Elephant Gala in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, August 5, 2023. Drew McKissick, party chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, says this the most attended Silver Elephant Gala in the party’s history.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Silver Elephant Gala in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, August 5, 2023. Drew McKissick, party chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, says this the most attended Silver Elephant Gala in the party’s history. jboucher@thestate.com

Former President Donald Trump is set to return to South Carolina later this month, with a Lowcountry stop.

Trump is scheduled to speak at Sportsman Boats in Summerville on Sept. 25, two days before the second Republican presidential debate.

The stop will be close to home for two other Republican presidential hopefuls. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott lives in the Charleston-area, and former Gov. Nikki Haley lives in Kiawah Island.

This would be Trump’s fourth stop in South Carolina this year as he seeks the White House for the third time.

Trump rolled out his South Carolina leadership team at an event in the State House in January, drew tens of thousands of people to a rally in Pickens in July, and spoke at the S.C. GOP Silver Elephant Gala in August.

South Carolina remains a Trump stronghold after he won the state’s primary in 2016. He also carried the state in general election by 14 points in 2016 and by 12 points in 2020.

A new poll released Thursday by the Washington Post and Monmouth University showed Trump had a 28-point lead over Haley in the Palmetto State.

Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are the only candidates so far to file to run in the South Carolina presidential primary, but other candidates are expected to file soon. The deadline to file is Oct. 31.

Doors for Trump’s upcoming rally are scheduled to open at noon Sept. 25, with the event beginning at 3 p.m. at 113 Sportsman Way in Summerville.

This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 10:54 AM.

Joseph Bustos
The State
Joseph Bustos is a state government and politics reporter at The State. He’s a Northwestern University graduate and previously worked in Illinois covering government and politics. He has won reporting awards in both Illinois and Missouri. He moved to South Carolina in November 2019 and won the Jim Davenport Award for Excellence in Government Reporting for his work in 2022. Support my work with a digital subscription
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