GOP 2024 hopefuls to speak at conservative forum in SC — a crucial early primary state

Several Republican lawmakers and 2024 presidential candidates are headed to Charleston, South Carolina, Saturday for the Palmetto Family Council's Vision '24 Forum, as the battle for 2024 ramps up.

The forum, a prominent conservative Christian event, comes as numerous GOP lawmakers are traveling to Iowa and New Hampshire, early states in the Republican caucus and primary calendar.

South Carolina remains the first of the southern states in the GOP and Democratic primary calendars and has been crucial in the past in selecting presidential nominees for both political parties.

"We are the front door of retail politics," said Justin Hall, director of communications for the Palmetto Family Council.  "We expect you to come here and tell us why we should support you, why we should vote for you, and what are your credentials."

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Who is attending the forum?

Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy are attending the forum as are South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, a potential 2024 presidential candidate.

Other attendees include Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy.

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Who won't be there

Not heading to Charleston? Former President Donald Trump.

He was invited to attend, as were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

They were all invited but have not confirmed they would attend the Saturday event, said organizers.

Several of these, like DeSantis and Pence, also skipped the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this month; Haley and Pompeo chose to attend CPAC and address the audience.

What will they talk about?

Among the expected topics speakers could touch on are the Silicon Valley Bank failure, the economy and inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and attacks against "woke" ideology.

Haley previously told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that the U.S. should not send American troops to Ukraine.

"We should not send cash or blank checks. Along with our allies in Europe and elsewhere, we should provide conventional weapons that enable Ukraine to effectively stop the Russian invasion and occupation of its land," said Haley.

A source familiar with Scott said the senator will touch upon his faith during the forum and President Joe Biden’s time in office as “the blueprint to destroy America.”

Scott will also “go through many of the ways that Democrats have kind of sent us on a wrong path these last two years so far,” said the source.

Previous Scott speeches have on a hopeful theme for America, which he will likely replicate. “He’s been calling it the Great American sunrise. There's hope for all of us,” the source said.

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Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina, may hit back against claims that the U.S. is a racist country, said Hall of the Palmetto Family Council.

"I think she's been hitting the idea of woke ideologies pretty hard. And she's putting herself out there as an example that supports her belief that America is not a racist country or you know that woke ideologies don't work," Hall said.

He also said that Scott and Ramaswamy may also criticize wokeness.

Haley and Scott's hometown roots

Although Haley is already in the running for 2024, Sen. Scott has not officially launched a presidential campaign — but there are signs that he's leaning towards a 2024 run.

Whether they address each other or Trump remains to be seen. Haley didn't mention Trump during her CPAC speech to conservatives.

A Quinnipiac University poll last month showed Haley garnering 5% of Republican support in a primary and Scott at 1%. By comparison, Trump had 42% and 36% of those surveyed supported DeSantis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikki Haley, Tim Scott among GOP presidential hopefuls to speak in SC