Donald Trump to attend South Carolina-Clemson rivalry football … – Greenville News
COLUMBIA — Former President Donald Trump will be in attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium for the rivalry football game between South Carolina and Clemson on Saturday, according to a report from NBC.
Columbia’s NBC affiliate station WIS reported that the national network had confirmed Trump’s plan to attend when the Gamecocks (5-6) host the Tigers (7-4) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network). There has been no announcement from the university or Trump campaign, but South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said last week he would welcome Trump to the rivalry game.
“Long ago Peggy and I issued him a standing invitation to come anytime he wants to,” McMaster said. “If he comes, we’ll be with him.”
While Trump has no official ties to either university or football program, the Tigers visited the White House twice during his term after winning the College Football Playoff national championship in 2016 and 2018.
Clemson’s 2019 visit was mired in controversy because it occurred amid the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history. Images of a fast food spread that players were served quickly went viral online, and Trump claimed to have personally funded the buffet because of the shutdown.
Trump has remained a front-runner in the 2024 Republican primary field despite facing federal criminal charges related to classified documents and mismanagement of campaign funds. South Carolina will be the first state in the southeast region to hold its Republican primary on Feb. 24, and the expansive field also includes former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
The 45th president is polling at an average of 49% in South Carolina among Republican primary voters, with Haley in second at 19.5%.
Follow South Carolina football reporter Emily Adams on X @eaadams6 and subscribe to The Greenville News for exclusive Gamecocks content: https://subscribe.greenvilleonline.com/offers.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.