Trump Endorses Candidates Ahead of South Carolina Runoff

In a last-minute move, President Donald Trump has come out in support of both longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette as they head into a closely watched Republican runoff election. Trump emphasized, “You can’t just support one and hurt the other,” on Truth Social.

This decision marks a strategic maneuver on Trump’s part, especially since he had previously endorsed Evette, while Governor Henry McMaster, a trusted ally, is also backing her. The South Carolina runoff is viewed as a critical test of Trump’s influence over the Republican Party and his role in shaping the nomination process.

Interestingly, this isn’t Trump’s first time offering dual endorsements in the same Republican contest. He did similarly with Gina Swoboda and Jay Feeley in an upcoming Arizona congressional primary. A notable instance from 2022 involved Trump endorsing two different candidates named Eric in the Missouri Senate primary, where Eric Schmidt eventually secured the nomination.

In the South Carolina primary, Evette emerged in the lead among a crowded field, while Wilson came in second, prompting the runoff as neither candidate achieved a majority of votes. The competition has turned fierce, with both candidates taking jabs at each other regarding their records during debates.

Wilson has been highlighting his extensive experience as a military veteran, prosecutor, and attorney general, while Evette is positioning herself as a pro-Trump outsider and critiquing Wilson as a career politician. The stakes are high, as it’s been nearly three decades since a Democrat last won the South Carolina gubernatorial election, making the winner of this runoff the clear favorite against Democratic candidate Rep. Jermaine Johnson.

In recent weeks, Trump’s backing has been evident in several Republican primaries across the country, resulting in notable victories. However, this winning streak faced a hiccup when his late endorsement of Iowa’s Randy Feenstra didn’t secure victory in that race. But just days later, Evette’s performance in the gubernatorial primary, along with other Trump-backed candidates’ successes, reshaped the narrative once more.

Meanwhile, in Georgia political circles, Lt. Governor Bert Jones—a Trump supporter—lost to outsider candidate Rick Jackson in a Republican runoff, signaling a complex relationship between Trump endorsements and election outcomes. Jackson’s aggressive spending and pro-Trump messages shaped his campaign, which some insiders believe indicates a broader trend rather than a direct referendum on Trump’s influence.