Trump to Make '24 Campaign Stop in S. Carolina

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Facts

  • Former US Pres. Donald Trump, who announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in November, will appear at a public event in South Carolina on Jan. 28 – his first since the start of his campaign.
  • Having limited recent appearances to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, he will be joined at the state house by several South Carolina Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Henry McMaster, where he's expected to reveal his campaign’s state leadership team in front of about 500 guests.
  • The visit will come amid rumors that two prominent South Carolinians are mulling challenging him for the GOP nomination. Nikki Haley, the state’s former governor and the UN ambassador under Trump, and Sen. Tim Scott are considered potential primary candidates.
  • So far, Trump is the only GOP candidate to launch a 2024 campaign. On the Democratic side, Pres. Joe Biden hasn’t made an official decision, but he has stated his intention to run numerous times.

Sources: Reuters, FOX News, and NBC.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Politico. It’s not like Trump to take such a low-profile approach to anything, let alone a campaign. Yet he’s waited months to face a big crowd outside of Florida, and he’s even keeping this South Carolina event small. Maybe he’s still licking his wounds after so many failed midterm endorsements and is a bit sheepish about having the same support this time around.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. This is the right time for Trump to kick off the public part of his campaign as some polls show he still holds a comfortable lead on his competition while others show a closer race. In South Carolina, Trump enjoys an overflowing amount of support, and this will be a chance for him to bring everyone together to secure the backing he needs in a key early-voting state.