Since announcing he was third run for president in November, Donald Trump has failed to stir up much excitement from, frankly, anyone. Republican voters, GOP leaders, Fox News, you name it. Nobody really cares.
This week, the embattled, one-term, twice-impeached ex-president will fly to Columbia, South Carolina to reveal the people he’s tapped to lead his 2024 campaign strategy in the Palmetto State, which is one of the first to vote in the Republican presidential primary.
Last week, it was announced he would be joined by lapdog Lindsey Graham and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, plus a few lesser-known members of the state’s congressional delegation and legislature, at the South Carolina State House.
But according to The Washington Post, Trump’s team is starting to panic because they don’t have enough big names to attend the event, so they’ve begun making “pleading phone calls” to other potential supporters across the state in hopes of drumming up more press and excitement.
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Unfortunately for them, it hasn’t been working.
Many South Carolina lawmakers and high profile donors are hesitant to throw their support behind Trump this early in the game, in part because two of the state’s most well-known Republicans–former Governor Nikki Haley and current Senator Tim Scott–are both rumored to be considering their own 2024 bids for president.
In fact, Haley is expected to make an announcement sometime in the very near future after telling Fox News host Bret Baier last week, “When you’re looking at a run for president, you look at two things: You first look at, does the current situation push for new leadership? The second question is, am I that person that could be that new leader?”
“Yes, we need to go in a new direction. And can I be that leader? Yes, I think I can be that leader.”
Nikki Haley is asked tonight if she is running for president: “Am I that person that can be that new leader? That yes, we need to go in a new direction. Can I be that leader? Yes, I think I can be that leader.” pic.twitter.com/wN9JL0QTNm
— Ron Filipkowski ?? (@RonFilipkowski) January 19, 2023
Another obstacle Trump’s team is facing in South Carolina are evangelicals, who no longer view him as the messiah they once did, especially after he went on Real America’s Voice last week to call them disloyal for not immediately backing him.
“There’s great disloyalty in the world of politics,” he said when asked why he was having trouble shoring up support from Christian extremists leaders, before adding that “nobody has ever done more for right to life than Donald Trump.”
President @realDonaldTrump calls out the “disloyalty” of evangelical leaders that haven’t yet given their support for his 2024 presidential campaign.
Watch LIVE? https://t.co/tfCJIexq6t
Watch @DBrodyReports’ full interview with President Trump here: https://t.co/7z1h6U53D0 pic.twitter.com/asZQgl7QLH
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) January 16, 2023
And then there’s the pesky problem of charisma-free Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis, who Republicans are particularly excited about for whatever reason. “Right now my constituency is as excited about Ron DeSantis as Donald Trump, if not more,” one state lawmaker told the Post.
A poll conducted just last month found DeSantis well ahead of Trump among Republican voters in the Palmetto State in a hypothetical 2024 contest. 500 likely voters were surveyed for Axios by Differentiators Data. DeSantis was the top choice, with 56% of those polled saying they would support him, compared to 35% who chose Trump.
Trump’s big South Carolina event will happen this Friday 4 PM at the South Carolina State House.
Related: Lindsey Graham isn’t done kissing Trump’s a** just yet, puckers up to join him on 2024 trail
RIGay
He’s going to be the GOP version of Ross Perot – a perennial fixture that just won’t go away.
Once can only hope he starts his own “Truth Party” and takes all the low-life with him, leaving his sycophants in the GOP hanging out to dry come election day.
NateOcean
Undesirable things that won’t go away:
herpes
gonorrhea
syphilis
chlamydia
Trump (multiple strains)
CatholicXXX
But will his replacement be worse and how much worse?
ZzBomb
Prediction:
He won’t get the nomination b/c he’s too toxic even for the toxic waste dump party.
He’ll stamp his feet in his typical tantrum he throws.
Leaves the room.
Starts his own “party”
Divides the GQP ticket.
Biden gets another 4 years.
bachy
This is the dream scenario. Dividing the GQP ticket to ensure another 4 years with a Democrat in office (Biden or otherwise). Fingers crossed.
xnetminder
So hopeful it goes this way!! If so, maybe the big, orange traitor will hide away in his florida dump and never show his ugly orange face again.
GayEGO
Yuk! Trump’s MAGA to me means Make America Gag Again!
Kangol2
So there aren’t enough MAGAs to give Don the Con a boost anymore? Sad!
He’ll probably stay in it for spite, helping to drag down his corrupt, cultist GQP, which would be a boon for the US and the globe.
Doug
This is strange, I read yesterday that the polls were showing Trump was way bahead of DeSantis in Florida. If it’s true, hopefully Florida’s the only state he’s popular in anymore.
Jimmynj
Why would anybody back this criminal loser??? He will be in prison for treason soon enough….
Creamsicle
Let’s be real. CNN and MSNBC will give him a ton of free press coverage and then wring their hands wondering how it’s possible for him to win the nomination again while each Republican candidate slowly runs out of campaign funds.
At least it’ll be fun watching him get the base to turn on Republican leadership again. It’s clear that the old establishment wants to wrestle control of the party away from him, but I think that they’ll be frustrated and disappontrd again. All the economic factors that made the Republican base support Trump in 2016 are even more intense in 2023.