Donald Trump is great at utilizing his time to pounce on his enemies. The former president and real estate mogul took advantage of the weekend to make his presence felt and create a problematic situation for his political opponents.
Donald Trump accepted an invitation from South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, to watch the sporting event of the year — the Clemson-South Carolina football game.
South Carolina is the home of Trump’s Republican opponent, Nikki Haley, a Clemson alumna and trustee. Haley, who served two terms as the state’s governor, did not attend the football game.
Trump, dressed in his Sunday best, walked into Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia to make two points — he is the current front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, and he has no scruples about outshining Nikki Haley in her own state.
Upon arriving at the stadium, Trump was quickly reminded that during college football rivalry weekends, etiquette is often ignored and rules are broken.
Mr. Trump was greeted with both loud boos and cheers. While some attendees chanted, “We want Trump! We want Trump!,” and “Let’s Go Brandon” others made it clear that he was not wanted at the annual Palmetto Bowl.
Multiple billboards erected all around Columbia and reminded Trump of his biggest failure — losing the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden.
One poignant message read: “You lost. You’re guilty. Welcome to Columbia, Donald.” Donald Trump and Henry McMaster were joined by South Carolina’s senior U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in their private suite.
Lindsey Graham, a longtime ally of Nikki Haley, made it clear that he is backing Donald Trump for president. Donald Trump’s appearance at the football game went viral because of the booing.
Videos of the crowd’s negative reaction to Trump created fiery debates on Twitter and Instagram. Trump, who never backs down from a controversy, took to his own platform, Truth Social, to push an alternative narrative.
According to Newsweek, Trump shared numerous articles that claimed that he received a “hero’s welcome” and enjoyed “a beautiful evening in South Carolina.
Trump posted an article that had the following glorious headline: “Crowd goes WILD as Trump attends college football game in Nikki Haley’s home state of South Carolina.”
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, told the media outlet: “South Carolina loves President Trump. Just take a look at all the videos circulating social media of giving him a warm and rousing welcome to the Palmetto Bowl.”
Nikki Haley’s campaign hit back with: “South Carolinians know their governor has what it takes to win because they’ve seen her beat the odds before — not just once, but twice.”
Mr. Trump is leading the general election polls against Biden at the moment.
