Trump’s Influence Tested in South Carolina Primaries

Following a week where President Donald Trump’s remarkable run in Republican primaries came to an end, his considerable influence within the party is now facing another challenge in South Carolina.

According to reports, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evett, backed by Trump, topped a crowded field in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary, securing one of the two spots for the next round of voting.

Evett, who has consistently shown her support for Trump, is set to compete in a runoff against Attorney General Alan Wilson in a couple of weeks, as they vie to replace the term-limited Republican Governor Henry McMaster.

Neither candidate managed to claim over 50% of the primary votes, which has led to the June 23 runoff. The winner is anticipated to be the front-runner in this heavily Republican state.

In the Senate primary, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has long been allied with Trump, is also expected to win enough support to avoid a runoff, according to the same sources.

Graham received Trump’s endorsement and faced off against five challengers, including conservative Mark Lynch, who criticized Graham over his support for the Iran war. Lynch garnered backing from some MAGA figures opposed to the president.

With a campaign that invested nearly $20 million promoting Trump, Graham recently joined Evette in an end-of-campaign phone call with the president.

While Trump wasn’t on the ballot, his sway over the Republican Party must still prove robust, especially following the outcomes of recent primaries where Trump-backed candidates managed to unseat incumbents across several states.

However, his last-minute endorsement of Iowa’s Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra didn’t lead to a win for the candidate aiming to replace the outgoing governor.

Feenstra’s defeat came from a newcomer, Zach Rahn, a candidate endorsed by MAHA — a movement aligned with Trump’s former Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In South Carolina’s gubernatorial primary, leading candidates have aligned themselves with Trump’s policies, hoping this allegiance will resonate with voters. Evette secured Trump’s endorsement, earning praise as an “America First patriot.” Meanwhile, a former Republican rival of Evette, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, believe his support shifted due to her calls for transparency concerning the Epstein investigation.

Mace noted she understood the risks of advocating for transparency but felt it was crucial for the truth to emerge. Trump’s remarks hinting at potential running mate choices have stirred speculation over political maneuvering in South Carolina.

Despite such controversies, the upcoming race is set. Either Evette or Wilson will meet state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, the Democratic nominee, in the general election later this year.