Trump makes appeal to SC voters to stay front-runner in GOP primary field -- Trump will be the third presidential candidate to visit Dorchester County

By Live 5's Elisheva Wimberly

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Former President Donald Trump is bringing his presidential campaign to Summerville on Monday. Trump will be the third presidential candidate to visit Dorchester County and people will gather at Sportsman Boats to hear what the former president has to say to his supporters.

According to his campaign website, this stop in Summerville was announced less than two weeks ago. The last time Trump was in the Palmetto State was in August to speak at the Silver Elephant Gala, an annual fundraiser for the South Carolina Republican Party.

Trump will speak at Sportsman Boats at 3 p.m. and doors will open at noon. Ahead of Trump’s visit, Dorchester County GOP Chairman Steven Wright says the road to the White House is through Dorchester County and South Carolina picks presidents.

“There is no disputing that President Trump is the front runner in this presidential primary and the fact of the matter is he delivered on a lot of conservative priorities during his four years in the White House,” Wright says. “And the other fact is that America cannot afford four more years of Joe Biden.”

Some may argue that Donald Trump remains a prominent figure in American politics and retains a strong base of support. Others may argue that the continued presence of Donald Trump could serve as a rallying point for Democratic voters, leading to greater voter turnout and engagement in elections. Wright says one this is clear: this primary will be decided by who works the hardest to secure their support.

“The simple fact of the matter is that next year’s election, it must be a referendum on Joe Biden and his failures for the American people,” Wright says. “And as Republicans, we must nominate somebody who can clearly articulate a positive vision for the future. I believe if President Trump does that in this primary, he will be well served by that, and I believe that voters will elect a Republican and our nominee if they do that.”

The Dorchester and Berkeley County Democratic Party gave statements ahead of Trump’s arrival, saying they’re not worried at all.

Berkeley County Democratic Party Chairman Ralph Prioleau said their confidence in President Biden remains as strong as ever.

“The Democratic Party is very confident. We are very confident in the progress made. We are very confident in what he has done as president, we are very confident in what Vice President Kamala Harris has done as well so we’re confident going into 2024 and we’re confident that when November 2024 hits we’re just continuing the progress and that’s all we’re worried about at this point,” Prioleau says. “President Biden will remain the president after November 2024.”

Prioleau says, they are not worried about increased Trump support rather, as far as all of the Republican candidates, they’re concerned about the MAGA extremism going on within the country. Regardless of if the Republican nominee is Trump.

“Donald’s Trump goal is not to address these issues that South Carolinians face his simple goal is to roll back the progress made by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris,” Prioleau says. “So, to me, and all my democrats feel, nothing he says in Summerville will change the fact that Donald Trump is a failed president and that this country needs to continue to move forward with the Biden administration along with other administrations in the future.”

David Mark Rubin is on the Executive Committee of the Dorchester County Democratic Party and he released a statement saying:

“What makes his candidacy in our state particularly sad for all voters in South Carolina is that we have a favorite daughter (Nikki Haley) and a favorite son (Tim Scott) on the ballot. If Trump is on the ballot, they will have to compete with him, and he may, in the end, be disqualified. This is not fair to them or to the voters. Haley and Scott deserve a campaign not clouded by Trump’s legal and Constitutional problems.

“We Democrats do believe that if Trump is the Republican nominee for President, it will energize our voters and lead to a record turnout of Democrats. His presence will help us up and down the ticket, and we will reclaim seats in the state legislature. Trump and Trumpism will help make South Carolina a two-party state.”

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Maria Milito