In 2016, former President Donald Trump won South Carolina by 10 points, but that pales in comparison to the lead he is now commanding. Over the 4h of July weekend, Trump held a rally in Pickens, South Carolina, which holds the distinction for having the most votes for Trump across the state in the 2020 election.
The small southern town was bursting at the seams with 30-50K attendees, depending on local or state reports, who even spent the night on the street to be closer to the podium the next day.
South Carolina, a red state which will have its first-in-the-south presidential primary on February 24, 2024, is the home territory for two other Republican hopefuls, former Governor Nikki Haley and SC Senator Time Scott. But it is Trump who is commanding the votes in the Palmetto State.
On Monday, Fox Business released a poll reporting that Trump holds a commanding 34-point lead in South Carolina with more than half of the participants believing he will be the best candidate to defeat President Joe Biden.
The outlet added:
The new poll, released Sunday, finds almost half of South Carolina likely Republican primary voters backing Trump in the 2024 primary contest (48%). That number is slightly larger (51%) among those who say they will definitely vote in the February 24 primary.
Lagging far behind is former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 14%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 13%, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at 10%. No other candidate reaches double-digit support.
“Even though it’s still early, Trump is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in this race,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducted the Fox Business poll along with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The initial challenge is to see who can become the non-Trump candidate, and in South Carolina, that’s currently a three-way race among DeSantis, Haley, and Scott.”
Fox Business added that, among various groups, Trump’s strongest support is seen among those identifying as very conservative (57%), voters under the age of 45 (55%), voters without a college degree (53%), rural voters (52%), and White evangelicals (51%).
DeSantis, like Trump, garners his strongest support from those who identify as very conservative. In contrast, Haley and Scott find their strongest support among moderates in the state.
When Trump supporters were asked about their second choice, the majority selected DeSantis (33%), followed by Scott (17%) and Haley (15%). DeSantis backers chose Trump as their second choice (38%), followed by Scott (29%) and Haley (19%). Among Haley supporters, Scott emerged as the top second choice (38%).
“Still, Trump leads among both groups (electability vs. shares views) by more than 40 points,” the outlet noted.
Overall, 51% of SC GOP primary voters believe Trump is the most capable candidate to defeat Biden in the upcoming November election. DeSantis follows with 17% support, while no other candidates reach double-digits in this regard, Conservative Brief reports.
Conservative Brief continued:
When asked about their level of support for certain candidates, nearly 6 in 10 respondents express that they would “definitely” support Trump (57%). For Haley, Scott, and DeSantis, approximately 3 in 10 respondents say they would “definitely” support them, with percentages at 28%, 28%, and 27%, respectively.
Former Vice President Mike Pence (38%) holds the unenviable title of having the highest percentage of respondents saying they would “never” vote for him. Additionally, 2 in 10 respondents say the same about businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (22%), Trump (21%), DeSantis, and Haley (20% each).
A shade over half of the primary voters (51%) indicate that economic issues, including inflation, jobs, and taxes, will play the most significant role in determining their vote for the nomination. Foreign policy/defense issues, immigration issues like border security, and social issues such as abortion, religion, and gender, are tied for second place with 12% each. Populist issues like corruption and elite power rank lowest at 7%.
The first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate, hosted by Fox News, is scheduled for August 23 in Milwaukee, Wis. However, during a July 16 interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump revealed that he hadn’t yet “made up his mind” about attending the event, the outlet said.
Trump has since suggested that he may sit down for a one-on-one interview with Tucker Carlson on the same night as the first Republican primary debate, which is set to take place on August 23. A new report from Vanity Fair claimed the former president is planning an event on Carlson’s popular Twitter show.
“One idea Trump is mulling is to sit for an interview with Tucker Carlson on his Twitter show at the same time as the debate, two sources briefed on the discussions said. According to one source, Trump recently reached out to Carlson and asked if Carlson would do the interview, but no decisions have been made,” Vanity Fair reported.
The attacks on the former president in the form of legal attempts to sidetrack his campaign and discredit him have served to rally supporters behind the unique businessman. Posting after a town hall event, Trump stated, “MAGA! There’s never been more spirit than we have right now.”
Rephrased from: The Republic Brief By: Trump Knows
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Rephrased from Trump Knows by InfoArmed