Trump arrives to fanfare at Williams-Brice Stadium for USC-Clemson football game

Former President Donald Trump Saturday is in attendance for the annual Clemson vs. University of South Carolina football game Saturday, as he seeks to maintain his dominant lead in the 2024 race for the Republican nomination for president.

Traffic was shut down surrounding Columbia’s Williams-Brice Stadium just about half an hour before the game’s kickoff, as Trump arrived by SUV and entered the west side of the stadium near the Hall of Captains and was greeted by a throng of people, some of whom chanted expletives directed at President Joe Biden. Other fans in the stadium chanted, “U-S-A!”

Trump’s visit comes just under three months before the First in the South GOP presidential primary.

Since 1980, the winner of the South Carolina Republican primary has gone on to win the GOP nomination with the exception of 2012.

Trump, the GOP front runner in the party’s nomination, is leading in the polls in South Carolina.

The latest Winthrop University Poll has Trump 52% of support among Republicans, leading former Gov. Nikki Haley, a Clemson graduate, who had 17%.

Trump also carried the ruby red state in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, carrying 55% of the vote in both contests.

Overall, Trump has a 45-46 favorable-unfavorable rating, but 77% of Republicans view him favorably.

Trump was greeted at the airport by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, Gov. Henry McMaster, First Lady Peggy McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and her husband, David. Trump was visiting the game as a guest of McMaster. State Treasurer Curtis Loftis and multiple state representatives also arrived alongside Trump.

Graham, McMaster and Evette are among the top elected Republicans in the state backing Trump’s campaign.

Ahead of Trump’s visit, his campaign announced 30 new endorsements in South Carolina, including state Sen. Ronnie Cromer, R-Newberry, House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, House Legislative Oversight Committee Chairman Jeff Johnson, R-Horry, state Rep. Brandon Cox, R-Berkeley, and state Rep. Mark Smith, R-Berkeley.

This is Trump’s fifth visit to the state this year. He unveiled his South Carolina leadership team during an event at the State House in January. In July, he held a rally in Pickens ahead of the town’s Independence Day celebration. He was the keynote speaker at the S.C. GOP’s Silver Elephant gala in August, and he held a rally in September in Summerville.

Despite Trump’s lead in the polls, the South Carolina Democratic Party called Trump’s visit a photo op out of “desperation.

“Tor a candidate who keeps proclaiming the primary over, Donald Trump keeps campaigning like he might have something to lose. Here’s to hoping no one on the field fumbles as badly as Donald Trump is fumbling his campaign here in South Carolina,” said South Carolina Democratic Party spokeswoman Alyssa Bradley.

Seven electronic billboards went up in the Columbia area on Saturday taunting Trump’s visit, along with an eighth along Interstate 77 in Charlotte. They read: “You Lost. You’re Guilty. Welcome to Columbia, Donald” and “Sponsored by League of Radical Leftists Vermin - Jay Bender Instigator.”

Bender is a veteran Columbia attorney who specializes in media law. He has represented The State Media Co., publisher of The State newspaper, and other South Carolina news organizations. Bender said when he learned Trump was coming to Columbia, he thought someone needed to speak up, so he started mulling on ideas. He said Trump is a threat to the livelihood and safety of individual Americans.

The Clemson vs. South Carolina game wasn’t the first college game this year to have presidential politics involved.

The Iowa vs. Iowa State football game in September was attended by Trump, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, all hoping to gain support from in the state that holds the first in the nation Republican caucus.

This is a developing story and will be updated with more details.