COLUMBIA — Former President Donald Trump will be in attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium for the rivalry football game between South Carolina and Clemson on Saturday, campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung said.
Columbia’s NBC affiliate station WIS first reported Trump’s plan to attend when the Gamecocks (5-6) host the Tigers (7-4) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network). South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said last week he would welcome Trump to the rivalry game.
“President Trump is excited to join Governor McMaster and so many from across the state to take in this wonderful game,” Cheung said.
While Trump has no official ties to either university or football program, the Tigers visited the White House twice during his term after winning the College Football Playoff national championship in 2016 and 2018.
Clemson’s 2019 visit was mired in controversy because it occurred amid the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. Images of a fast food spread that players were served quickly went viral online, and Trump claimed to have personally funded the buffet because of the shutdown.
Trump has remained a front-runner in the 2024 Republican primary field despite facing federal criminal charges related to classified documents and mismanagement of campaign funds. South Carolina will be the first state in the southeast region to hold its Republican primary on Feb. 24, and the expansive field also includes former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
The 45th president is polling at an average of 49% in South Carolina among Republican primary voters, with Haley in second at 19.5%.
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2023-11-21 17:56:18
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