COLUMBIA, S.C. – Former President Donald Trump rolled to victory Saturday in the South Carolina Republican primary, easily defeating former Gov. Nikki Haley in her home state and moving ever close to the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
The Associated Press and television networks called the race for Trump shortly after the South Carolina polls closed at 7 p.m.
Trump, who also won convention delegate contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, is on track to win the nomination, despite the prospect of up to four criminal trials in the months ahead.
Winning the South Carolina primary is a particularly good omen for Trump, politically.
Most of the Republicans who have won the Palmetto State’s primary have gone on to win the party’s nomination, a list that includes Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump himself.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
The next primary is Tuesday in Michigan.
Watch live: South Carolina primary coverage – YouTube.
Haley criticizes Trump endorsing Lara Trump to lead RNC
Haley criticized Trump on Saturday for endorsing his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to co-lead the Republican National Committee, citing comments she has made in support of using party funds to pay off the ex-president’s mounting legal bills.
When asked about who she would nominate to run the RNC if current chair Ronna McDaniel’s steps down, as anticipated, Haley remarked “It wouldn’t be a family member of a candidate.”
Her comments come after Lara Trump earlier this week insinuated that the RNC should use its money to help pay for her fathers-in-law’s legal bills. The ex-president is in four separate trials about his efforts to overturn his election loss and has more than half a half-a-billion dollars in civil judgments against him.
“I would hope that the people in the RNC know that they have a responsibility – a responsibility to put in people in the RNC who are going to look out for the best interests of all of the Republican Party, not just one person,” Haley added.
USA Today
Haley voter: ‘I think she’ll do good for our nation’
Sandy Schumacher, 50, of Simpsonville, voted for Nikki Haley at the Hillcrest Middle School precinct on Saturday afternoon.
“I think she’s the best candidate,” she said. “I really like her, I liked her when she was governor, I think she’s a good leader, and I think she’ll do good for our nation.”
Jason Kent, a 43-year-old moderate conservative, of Simpsonville, also voted for Haley.
“I feel like she’s a better person than some of the other candidates that are available and have a better chance of actually making a difference,” Kent said. “I’d like her to change some of the things that have been implemented over the last four years of Biden. I know as a middle-class person, I’ve seen my taxes go up, and I’ve seen my insurance costs go up at work.”
Terry Benjamin
Haley voter wants candidate to ‘get rid of all the old-timers’
Independent voter Valerie Burton, 64, from Fountain Inn, talked about voting for Haley outside of the Fountain Inn Activity Center precinct Saturday afternoon.
“She did great when she was our governor, and she was good enough for Trump to have her in the U.N.,” Burton said.
Burton said she knows what she would like to see Haley do if she was elected president. “Get rid of all the old-timers in there,” she said. “It’s the good old boy mentality that needs to go away. It’s not only the Republicans or the Democrats. It’s all of them.”
Terry Benjamin
Trump voter: ‘Because of the field, there’s not much there’
Scott Berchou, 55, from Fountain Inn talked about his reason for voting for Trump at a Fountain Inn precinct around 3:15 Saturday afternoon.
“Basically because of the field, there’s not much there,” Berchou said. “He (Trump) has a proven track record and the fact that we need to turn our country around and get some things back in place.”
Terry Benjamin
Trump in Columbia says Black voters want ‘white guy’ president
COLUMBIA, S.C. − Former president Donald Trump, campaigning in South Carolina Friday, brought the issue of race into the campaign by comparing his legal battles to the injustices Black Americans face in the legal system and saying Black voters would prefer him over his predecessor, “Black president” Barack Obama.
Speaking to an audience of mostly Black Americans, Trump suggested − inaccurately − that he is popular with African American voters. He said his 91 criminal indictments and mug shot were part of the reason.
“A lot of people said that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against,” he told an event sponsored by the Black Conservative Federation where about two-thirds of the crowd were Black Americans and one third were white people.
“It’s been pretty amazing but possibly, maybe, there’s something there,” he said of his theory that his criminal woes are something that makes him relatable to Black voters.
At another point, Trump squinted at the crowd and said: “The lights are so bright in my eyes I can’t see too many people out there. But I can only see the Black ones. I can’t see any white ones. That’s how far I’ve come.”
In disparaging President Barack Obama over the costs of a new Air Force One, Trump “Would you rather have the Black president or the white president who got $1.7 billion off the price?”
As the crowd cheered that remark, Trump said: “I think they want the white guy.”
Click here to read.
David Jackson/USA Today
Voting in Republican primary steady
Pat Edwards, a poll clerk at West View Elementary, said voting in the South Carolina Republican primary had been steady Saturday. “Some years you get spurts or long stretches, and it’s been a good turnout this year,” she said. “I’m pleased to see it! It’s a specific duty for people to vote. A lot of people complain, but you need to voice to change things. We need more young people to step up to vote.”
Troy Caprro, 61, of Spartanburg, spoke about the importance of voting. “One of the greatest things Americans have is the right to vote,” he said. “We just moved up here, and it’s our first time voting here and we wanted to make sure our vote was counted for. I voted for Trump, his economic policies brought us to a point that I hope we can return to with smart choices.”
Republican Victoria Thompson, 64, of Spartanburg, voted for Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump will fix us and we have to be fixed, and I don’t think there was anybody else who had the skill set to handle the foreign policy. Who else would you put up against China and North Korea? He wrote the book ‘Art of the Deal’ because Trump knows how to make a deal. There’s nothing wrong with getting along with the ‘bad guy’, if you can do it peacefully and without war. I’m scared Iran may attack us, especially since we still have hostages. Nobody has been sent to look for these hostages.”
Joanna Johnson
Trump voter says former president has ‘harsh personality’
Chasidy Reese, a 36-year-old Republican from Travelers Rest, voted for Donald Trump at the City Hall precinct.
“I think he did a good job when he was in office,” Reese said. “I think a lot of people voted the other way based on emotions and feelings. I think he has a harsh personality and always doesn’t come across as the nicest, but when it comes to making financial decisions for the country and keeping us safe, I think he does a good job.”
Terry Benjamin
Republican, Independent vote for Nikki Haley
Spartanburg couple Joan Cope, 61, a Republican who votes mainly Democrat, and Chumley Cope, 63, an independent, explained why they voted for Nikki Haley.
“I decided that I wanted to vote for Nikki Haley instead of Trump,” Joan Cope said. “I admire her in a lot of ways. I feel like she’s a fighter and persistent in standing up for what she believes in. In the national election, I’d vote Biden but I wanted to stand up for Nikki today. I think we need to be more moderate, and I’m frustrated with the extremism in our country. We need to make more moderate choices and not inflame people’s emotions.”
Chumley Cope said his vote was against Donald Trump.
“In my fantasy, we’re all going to turn out and vote for Nikki Haley just to tell the world that you know we feel so strongly against Donald Trump,” Chumley Cope said. “Who knows where all this is going with Trump’s legal situation? Will he be the nominee, just based on how he gets out or doesn’t get out of the legal predicament that he’s in?”
Joanna Johnson
Immigration, inflation top of mind for Trump voter
Republican Sally Brainerd, 70, of Anderson, voted for Donald Trump at the Pierce Town/North Point precinct.
“I voted for Trump because he knows what it takes to be president,” he said. “If elected again, I would like to see him tackle immigration and inflation. Something has to change.”
Travis Rose
Left-leaning Democrat votes for Nikki Haley
Hannah James, 18, of Travelers Rest, at the City Hall precinct, said she was a left-leaning Democrat who voted for Haley.
“I decided that if it came down to having a Republican president, I’d rather have Haley over Trump,” James said.
“Well, I just think that some of her policies are less extreme than Trump’s and she’s more moderate,” she said explaining her reason for voting for Haley over Trump. “I believe that she is closer to my views than Trump’s are.
“Trump has always been very anti-immigration,” she said.
“I’d still rather have a Democratic president. However, it’s just Trump, as well as his supporters, just don’t align with my views.”
Terry Benjamin
Border, economy on Trump voter’s mind
Babs Smith, 70, of Spartanburg, voted at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Spartanburg around 10:40 a.m.
“I had a definite opinion on who I wanted to vote for,” she said. “I always vote, small or big. I think Trump is best for our country with the border and economics.”
Republican Michael Long, 63, of Spartanburg voted for Haley. “I wanted to come out to vote for Nikki Haley because I want to see stability in the country,” she said. “Trump I believe will bring just more chaos and I feel that’s not what the country needs.”
Republican Lenny Mathis, 45, of Spartanburg, voted for Haley. He brought along his son, saying it’s important to show the new generation the importance of voting.“I wanted to show my son the process of voting, and why it’s so important. We always vote, no matter what. I voted for Nikki Haley, because I liked her leadership style when she was governor and there’s a lot of issues with Trump right now.”
Joanna Johnson
‘I want to give Haley a chance’
Republican Ginger Rittweger, 78, of Anderson voted for Nikki Haley at Whitehall Edgewood Station B in Anderson County.
“I want to give Haley a chance and see what she can do,” she said, explaining that the border and pro-life legislation were issues she was interested in when voting.
Travis Rose
Democrat crosses aisle to vote for Nikki Haley
Early voting for the 2024 Presidential Primaries began on Feb. 12 and ended on Feb. 22.
“We had 4,799 early voters,” said Laura Booth, Anderson County Board of Voter Registration Executive Director. “Early voting provides more convenience and increases voting participation.”
At Centerville Precinct, Station B, Kim Bagwell, a 61-year-old resident of Anderson County and a Democratic voter, said she voted for Nikki Haley.
Bagwell said she switched her vote to Haley because she dislikes the Democratic candidates. “I want to see women in the chair,” she said, also explaining that she wanted more funding for schools and lower taxes.
Travis Rose
SC Republican primary live updates:South Carolina Republican primary live updates: Nikki Haley fights for upset against Trump
‘I don’t think we need to be globe’s babysitter.’
Republican Micheal Joseph Berthiaume, 61, of Marietta, voted for Trump around 9:19 a.m. at Slater Marietta Elementary School.
“I don’t think we need to be the globe’s babysitter,” Berthiaume said. “I understand there’s conflicts all over the globe but we have so much going on in our own country. We don’t need to be sending $62 billion here, $48 billion there, when we have veterans, homelessness and issues all over the country here, they’re being ignored.”
Also at the Slater Marriott precinct, Jim Jones, 58, a conservative independent, said he voted for Trump.
“Roughly four to seven years ago, we were in a lot better shape than we are now,” he said. “He was doing all the right things back then, and I figure if he gets back in, he’ll do all the right things again.”
He voiced his opinions on why he steered away from Haley as his vote.
“I have actually lived through her governorship, and she raised taxes,” he said. “She changed her stances on lots of several things back when she was there. Some of them I didn’t care about, but just the fact that she told me one thing and to turn around and do another seemed to be a problem.”
Bobbie Garrett, 85, who described himself as a conservative Republican, voted for Trump.
“Well, because when he was there, he got the job done,” Garrett said. “I think he says too many things that he shouldn’t be saying but he got the job done. That’s what I want to see us back to. We’ve got so many people coming across that border, we’re going to get invaded pretty quick. I just pray that things get straightened out before then. Not for me, but for the younger people who have to live in this world.”
Terry Benjamin
Today show reporting live from Greenville
National interest in today’s South Carolina Republican primary is high. The Today Show was reporting live from Greenville and Columbia.
Haley was on the Today show for an exclusive interview and used her signature catchphrase that it “was a great day to be in South Carolina.”
“What I’m banking on is the fact that he can’t win in a general election,” Haley said when asked if she was banking on Trump being convicted. “If we really want to see a change in our country we have to win and we can’t win with someone who is not able to win a general election,” she said referring to Donald Trump.
She said 70 percent of Americans don’t want President Biden or Donald Trump. “Sixty percent of Americans think Joe Biden and Donald Trump are too old to be president,” she said in the interview.
“This isn’t about conviction. This is about chaos,” Haley said when asked if she had any conversations with party leaders on the what if Trump was convicted. “There is chaos all around him. Republicans lost with him in 2018. They lost with him in 2020. They lost with him in 2022. A couple of weeks ago, Republicans lost the vote on the border. They lost the vote on Israel. The RNC chair lost her position. And he had his fingerprints on all of that. Everything he touches is chaos that leads to a loss. And how many more times do Republicans have to lose before they realize that maybe he’s the one who’s the problem.”
Jose Franco
Haley voter said he was voting against Donald Trump
Jorge Lara, 43, of Greer, was one of the first people in line to vote at 7:30 a.m. at Riverside High School and chose Nikki Haley as his candidate.
Lara said it was his first time voting in any primary and he was voting against Donald Trump. “I feel that it’s important to vote against Donald Trump. Simply because it’s my belief that our democracy may be in danger,” Lara said.
Lara said he grew up in Cuba. “I come from a country where it was a dictatorship,” he said. “I see Trump’s leanings and cozying up to dictatorships and kind of accepting the Russian behavior, betraying our allies. This is very important for me. Today’s not so much about a vote for Nikki Haley, or for any particular politician, it is a vote against Trump.”
Rick McKeeman, 73, of Greer, voted for Trump at Riverside High School.
“Well, I think the country is just now starting to wake up from the last three years of hell we’ve been through,” he said. “I think we need a manager and Trump’s a manager,” he said. “He’s a darn good manager, he has owned his businesses. He’s used to being in the boardroom, sitting at the head of the table, and being the boss. When he’s in the Oval Office, he’s the boss.”
Republican Michael Boling, 33, of Greer said he voted for Nikki Haley. “I don’t feel comfortable voting a criminal into office,” Boling said, referencing Trump. “I think that anybody who thinks that Donald Trump has your best interest in mind rather than his is sorely mistaken. He definitely is not fit for the American people.”
Terry Benjamin
Spartanburg voters support Nikki Haley, Donald Trump
Walter Smith, 65, of Roebuck, came out to vote for Nikki Haley at 7:45 a.m. at Gable Middle School in Roebuck. “I’m impressed with Nikki Haley,” he said. “I had the chance to experience her as governor and I think she will be an excellent representation as president for the U.S. She appears straightforward and honest.”Smith also likes her foreign policy experience. “She has the insight to weigh in both what’s going on here in North America and the insight what’s in shambles such as Russia, Hamas and Ukraine. There’s more to winning a war than money.”
The crowd was small this morning, with around 15 people showing up as soon as the polls opened at Gabe Middle School at 7 a.m. As the morning progressed, a few more cars pulled into the parking lot.
Klay Peterson, 72, a Roebuck resident explained why he came out to vote for Trump. “It’s an important part of the democratic processes and our voices need to be heard,” he said. “Not voting is shirking responsibility. I voted for Trump, but there’s a lot of good candidates. With his experience and toughness, he’s the man.”
Peterson compared Trump to Churchhill. “Churchill had the same determination,” he said.
Peterson also said what’s happening at the border concerned him and he felt Trump would be best able to handle the problems at the border.
“The border is number one. Having been in law enforcement for over 40 years, I’m concerned with safety and crime in our country. We don’t know what their intentions are and I’m worried we’ll have to pay that price.”
He said he also believed many people were coming across the border to do wrong to the country.
Rosemary Gaddy, 55, of Roebuck, said they voted for Trump. “We need a change,” she said. “I voted for Trump, and I am hoping we can go back to some of the policies we had before.”
The border issues were weighing on her mind. “So many people are coming in and some can’t get in,” she said. “Everybody needs to vote and we all have an opinion. It’s our right.”
Joanna Johnson
Voting in SC’s Republican primary? What to know.
The South Carolina Republican presidential primary is set for Feb. 24 with Palmetto state native and former governor Nikki Haley, former President Donald Trump and equity group CEO Ryan Binkley all on the ballot.
The state operates an open primary system where voters can cast ballots for any of the three potential candidates regardless of party affiliation if they did not vote in South Carolina Democratic Primary earlier this month.
Thus far, Trump has claimed victory in the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Although Haley suffered a loss to “none” in Nevada’s primary on Feb. 6, she has not indicated dropping out as she’s toured her home state all month and is still aiming to snag the 50 delegates up for grabs in the Palmetto state on Saturday.
Click here to read
A.J. Jackson
When should we see results from GOP presidential primary?
After residents choose a candidate in the Republican presidential primary on Saturday, they will want to know who won.
Election officials said the Republican primary results will take longer than the Democratic primary results on Feb. 3 because more people are voting in the Republican primary.
Former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former President Donald Trump and equity group CEO Ryan Binkley are all on the ballot.
Greenville County elections office expects to have initial ballots counted around 7:45 p.m., and total preliminary voting tallies completed around 11 p.m., according to Conway Belangia, director of elections for Greenville County.
Click here to read.
A.J. Jackson
Trump talks Haley, policy during Rock Hill rally
ROCK HILL − Former president Donald Trump visited Rock Hill Friday as part of a final campaign push in South Carolina ahead of Saturday’s Republican primary.
After an introduction by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, Trump talked about rival Nikki Haley, the southern border, and the economy, among other topics. Trump spoke to an enthusiastic crowd that nearly filled Winthrop Coliseum, which seats 6,100, not including the additional floor seating.
Greenville County Councilman Benton Blount, a finalist on Season 10 of America’s Got Talent, sang the national anthem in front of the crowd.
As rally attendees filtered in, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and U.S. Rep. William Timmons (R-SC) warmed up the crowd in the hours before Trump took the stage at 4:30 p.m.
Click here to read.
Chalmers Rogland
What do SC polls say about Trump, Haley?
South Carolinians will cast their ballots in the Republican presidential primary on Saturday, and despite candidate Nikki Haley’s prior tenure as the state’s governor, polls point to former President Donald Trump as the likely victor.
A February poll led by Suffolk University/USA TODAY published Tuesday morning showed that 63% likely South Carolina Republican primary voters surveyed plan to vote for Trump, while only 35% plan to vote for Haley. The poll was conducted between Feb. 15-18 and included 500 responses.
A larger poll conducted between Feb. 13-15 of likely Republican primary voters in the state led by partisan Trafalgar Group also reported that 63% of responders said they plan to support Trump, compared to less than 34% who said they plan to support Haley.
Click here to read
Sarah Swetlik
Who is on Trump’s VP list?
At Tuesday’s FOX News town hall event, former President Donald Trump dropped a list of names for potential running mates.
Among those names were South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
“Honestly all of those people are good. They’re all good, they’re all solid,” Trump told Laura Ingraham regarding his vice-presidential shortlist.
Click here to read
Nina Tran
Can Nikki Haley’s home state boost her campaign?
The stakes are high for presidential hopeful Nikki Haley in her home state as she faces an uphill battle before the state’s Republican Presidential Preference Primary on Feb. 24. But the former governor says she’s accustomed to being the “underdog.”
“I’ve always been David taking on Goliath,” Haley said during an intimate rally in downtown Greenville on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
She’s lost all three presidential primary elections so far in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Still, she’s hoping to take her campaign all the way, and as she’s pointed out on the trail, she’s always been able to come back in the past.
Click here to read.
Savannah Moss
First appeared on www.greenvilleonline.com