Trump visits gun shop, boat factory while in Charleston area … – Charleston Post Courier
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Updated: October 16, 2023 @ 8:51 am
Former President Donald Trump addresses hundreds of supporters during a Make America Great Again Rally at Sportsman Boats Manufacturing Facility on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, in Summerville. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
A supporter of former President Donald Trump waves a flag before a “Make America Great Again” rally at Sportsman Boats in Summerville on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Former President Donald Trump addresses hundreds of supporters during a Make America Great Again Rally at Sportsman Boats Manufacturing Facility on Monday Sept. 25, 2023, in Summerville. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Former President Donald Trump addresses hundreds of supporters during a Make America Great Again Rally at Sportsman Boats Manufacturing Facility on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, in Summerville. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
SUMMERVILLE — Former President Donald Trump made a whirlwind swing through the Lowcountry, stopping at a gun store and then addressing thousands in Dorchester County as he looks to cement his hold on the electorate in the backyard of his two Palmetto State rivals.
Trump touched down Sept. 25 in U.S. Sen. Tim Scott’s hometown of North Charleston and was only a few miles from former Gov. Nikki Haley’s Kiawah Island home as he announced new endorsements from high-ranking Statehouse Republicans and received a rapturous welcome at his campaign headquarters.
Haley and Scott have emerged in recent polls as popular Trump challengers in the crucial first-in-the-South primary as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ star has dimmed. Still, Trump’s trip was intended to demonstrate his formidable lead.
During an address at a Summerville boat factory that capped off the trip, Trump hit on the usual themes of his campaign. He called the Biden administration “sick” and “evil,” derided the four indictments he faces in federal and state courts as political, repeated claims proven false that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and touted his accomplishments in the White House.
Trump told thousands of supporters who waited hours in the sun, with temperatures climbing into the 80s, at Sportsman Boats that his support in South Carolina is “at levels we’ve never seen before.”
A supporter of former President Donald Trump waves a flag before a “Make America Great Again” rally at Sportsman Boats in Summerville on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Indeed, Trump drew out his fervent supporters.
Karen Scott, a 71-year-old Berkeley County resident, was ecstatic about attending her first in-person Trump rally as she wore a red T-shirt with Trump’s Fulton County, Ga., mugshot while standing in line before the speech.
“I’ve got everything of Trump’s,” she said. “From the gold wristwatch to this book my friend had of glossy photos from when he was president. I’ve got the koozies. The flag.”
Before explaining how she believes that the replacement of national currencies with a rainbow-colored world currency may be imminent, Scott said Trump is the only candidate she’ll consider.
“This is a worldly fight between good and evil,” she said. “I hope he comes up close enough for a hug.”
Trump’s campaign began the day by rolling out a slew of high-profile South Carolina Republican endorsements from Attorney General Alan Wilson; Secretary of State Mark Hammond; House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens; and Assistant Majority Leader Jay West, R-Belton.
Summerville Republican state Rep. Robby Robbins also endorsed Trump.
Shortly after landing at Charleston International Airport just past noon, Trump went to his North Charleston campaign headquarters, where more than 100 people were inside waiting for him.
The crowd chanted his name, yelling, “We Want Trump!” Most wore red “Make America Great Again” baseball caps. And when the crowd began chanting “We are MAGA,” the former president strode into the room and people began to scream.
Phones shot up overhead as people tried to capture an encounter with the 45th president. Others waved and clapped. A few women shouted, “We love you.”
Trump spoke for about 4 minutes, giving a truncated version of his stump speech and boasting about his double-digit polling lead in early states and nationally.
“In the NFL, they have this expression. They go prevent with defense. We don’t do that,” Trump said. “We just go on offense because our country has never been in this position.”
Next stop was the Palmetto State Armory in Summerville. When Trump entered the gun store, he walked toward the back where firearms, from handguns to semi-automatic weapons, are kept in glass cases.
Trump stopped and pointed. “Oh, I like that one.”
The gun he liked was a Glock 19 featuring a laser-engraved portrait of himself and the presidential seal. “Wow,” Trump said, looking down at the gun.
“And they sell well?” he asked
“Yes, sir,” an employee said.
“They like me,” Trump said.
“They like you,” U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia assured Trump.
“I want to buy one,” Trump said, twice.
Former President Donald Trump addresses hundreds of supporters during a Make America Great Again Rally at Sportsman Boats Manufacturing Facility on Monday Sept. 25, 2023, in Summerville. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
A spokesman for Trump later tweeted that Trump had purchased the gun. At no point during the visit was Trump seen filling out the paperwork required to buy a firearm.
Trump posed for pictures with the gun alongside Palmetto State Armory founder Jamin McCallum and co-owner Julian Wilson, the son of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Springdale, and the brother of Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Trump arrived early at his final stop of the day — a rarity on the campaign trail — at Sportsman Boats, where people had been lined up since at least 8:30 a.m.
Trump laid out elements of his economic policy during the speech, backing an across-the-board tariff and the revocation of “most-favored-nation” trade status for China. He also pledged a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a national ban on gender transition surgery for minors and promised to disband the federal Department of Education.
In a nod to the speedboats that ringed the stage, Trump also pledged to roll back federal vessel speed restrictions under consideration that are intended to protect North Atlantic right whales, saying that the regulations would “desecrate your cherished Lowcountry traditions.”
South Carolina Democrats used the visit to highlight Trump’s anti-abortion stance.
“Donald Trump is the one who can’t stop boasting about being responsible for getting rid of Roe v. Wade, and I bet he’ll spout that same line today in Summerville,” state party chair Christale Spain said before the arrival.
Trump did not focus on the issue of abortion during his remarks, only alluding to the fall of Roe when he touted his conservative judicial appointments.
But he did echo previous comments he has made bashing the pair of federal indictments against him related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 election, as well as state charges in Georgia and New York.
“Every time we get a good poll, we get indicted,” he said.
He made sure to remind the crowd of those polls, bringing up his lead over his primary rivals repeatedly and calling the debates, which he has declined to attend, “ridiculous” and “fake.”
Chester Seaman, a 73-year-old retired environmental engineer, is from Scott’s hometown of North Charleston and he likes Haley, but he’s planning to vote for Trump, he said as he waited in line before the speech.
He is going to tune into the second presidential debate of the season Sept. 27.
“I’d like to hear what others have to say,” he said. “One of them could be VP.”
Schuyler Kropf contributed to this report.
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