Ahead of his campaign visit to the Palmetto State, former president Donald Trump grabbed 13 additional endorsements from South Carolina politicians in his third run for the White House.
Attorney general Alan Wilson, secretary of state Mark Hammond, house majority leader Davey Hiott, and ten Republican representatives of the state house were the latest South Carolina figures to throw their support behind Trump for 2024, his campaign announced Monday.
“President Trump’s legacy of judicial appointments is the strongest in my lifetime,” Wilson said. “With more than 300 federal judges and three Supreme Court Justices appointed during his tenure, our country will see originalist, Constitutionalist rulings for decades to come.”
“His policies on the Southern border, as well as his strong foreign policy positions during these dangerous times will help keep America safe for future generations. He has my wholehearted endorsement,” Wilson added.
The ten South Carolina GOP representatives who endorsed Trump on Monday included Bill Sandifer, Val Guest Jr., Kevin Hardee, Randy Ligon, Phillip Lowe, Robby Robbins, Jay West, David Vaughan Jr., Jay Jordan, and Cody Mitchell.
“Joe Biden has been a disaster, and we recognize Republicans must support a strong and proven leader who will reverse our nation’s decline,” said Hiott. “President Trump is dominating South Carolina’s First in the South Primary and his nomination will be the first and best step to evicting Joe Biden from the White House. We are proud to join many of South Carolina’s officials in endorsing Donald J. Trump as the next President of the United States.”
The latest endorsements from South Carolina bring Trump’s total to 21, giving him an edge over the state’s former governor Nikki Haley and U.S. senator Tim Scott.
Trump previously received Republican endorsements from governor Henry McMaster, lieutenant governor Pam Evette, U.S. senator Lindsey Graham, treasurer Curtis Loftis, speaker Murrell Smith, and U.S. representatives Joe Wilson, William Timmons, and Russell Fry.
South Carolina voters also support Trump over Haley and Scott for the GOP nomination. According to a Fox Business poll released last week, 46 percent of respondents preferred Trump, while Haley had 18 percent and Scott had 9 percent.
The former president visited Summerville, S.C., two days ahead of the second Republican presidential debate, an event he will not be attending. Instead, he will visit the ongoing United Auto Workers strike in Detroit, Mich., and meet with union members on the ground on Wednesday.