For his 76th birthday this week, former President Donald Trump asked South Carolina voters to deliver him “a beautiful and beautiful birthday gift” in the form two victories that he had marked on his calendar.
However, the former president might not get everything he wants when the state’s voters vote on June 14.
Trump has two goals: to remove GOP incumbents Tom Rice, Nancy Mace and Nancy Mace. These are two members of Congress he considers insufficiently loyal.
Rice, a self-described “Chamber of Commerce Republican” who represents the 7th Congressional District, in the northeastern region of the state, was among 10 House Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment. He has since said that he has no regrets. Mace, a Libertarian-leaning member of the Lowcountry’s 1st Congressional District rebuked Trump after the Capitol riot, but she did not vote to impeach Trump and quickly tempered her criticism.
Trump has supported Russell Fry, a state representative against Rice, and Katie Arrington, a former state rep against Mace in the hope of replacing them. Fry leads Rice by a wide margin, but there are many candidates in this race so it is not possible to avoid a runoff. However, polling also shows that Fry has a substantial lead over Rice. Mace beat Arrington in their two person race. After Trump’s victories in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Georgia, which saw him win big and lose hard, the contests will be Trump’s biggest endorsement test. Trump’s style of politics is still the predominant one within the Republican Party. However, South Carolina could be Trump’s next target. This could be because voters approve of Trump choosing to choose their own path in selecting local representatives and not following his advice.
Trump’s former acting chief staff Mick Mulvaney told NBC News that politics is still local. “And if people like their incumbent Representative, regardless of whether it’s a Governor, a Senator, or House Member, they’re more likely to keep them.”
He said, “I think a lot Republicans — especially House members — who chose to not run instead of going up for the Trump endorsement are probably thinking about it.” They probably had a better chance than they realized.
Mace said in an interview that she predicted a win for her Tuesday contest. This is similar to how Trump’s candidates did against incumbents in Georgia’s closely-watched primaries earlier in the month. Republican Governor. Brian Kemp, the former president’s favorite target for his refusal to subvert 2020 state election results, defeated Trump-backed challenger David Perdue 50-to-1.
She said that “you’re seeing in our elections what people saw in Georgia,” and added that she was “working hard” for such a finish. “We won’t have a 70% margin but it’s close to 60/40,” she said.
Trump has the opportunity in South Carolina to win something he has not been able to do: defeat an incumbent Republican at a ballot box. Trump’s fortunes in open contests have been far better than Trump’s. However, Trump has seen Georgia and Idaho voters reject five of his challengers in recent weeks. He has not won in this scenario, but some Republicans he wanted to remove from office chose to retire instead of face voters.
Trump spoke for approximately 10 minutes on Tuesday at a tele-rally to Fry and Arrington, asking voters to give him a birthday gift. Two birthday presents.
He claimed that Arrington was “fighting hard” and Fry is “leading a lot.” Rice denigrated Rice, calling him a “backstabbing RINO,” which stands to mean “Republican in Name Only.” Rice said that by voting for impeachment Rice had “lifted his hand” and that that was the end his political career. We hope so.
Trump, who is a huge fan of cable news, was most upset by Mace’s frequent appearances at Fox News.
He said that she is always on Fox because Paul Ryan, former House Speaker, is a big fan of hers. “Nancy Mace is on all the times. But I believe the people can see past it.”
Rice stated in an interview that he believed voters would appreciate his contributions to the Trump-era tax cut, trade and local infrastructure reforms and will value them more than Trump’s “traveling vengeance tour.”
Rice stated, “I believe Trump is the past, and we must move on to the present,” naming among others Florida Governor. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence are two people who could be “great” leaders and presidents of the party.
His impeachment vote was final and there was no second-guessing. It may end his congressional career.
He said that he watched the White House riots unfold on television, and was happy that people were following his orders and following up. “I don’t know of any president who has done more in government than the president,” he added. He should be held responsible for this. It was something I believed then, and it is still my belief today.”
Matt Moore, a senior adviser for Fry’s campaign, and a former chairman of the state GOP, said to NBC News that he believed Rice’s decision to “all-in,” on his impeachment vote during campaign’s final weeks, only sealed his fate.
Moore stated that he’s “going out with a blaze and glory.”
Roger Slagle of the Horry County Republican Party was the chairman in Rice’s district. He said that Trump’s support was “quite crucial” and that the voters of his area “really respect Donald Trump and his time in office.”
They look at it and think, “Well, that’s awesome.” Is Donald Trump really able to understand all the nuances of what’s happening in Horry County, South Carolina, or District 7?” he asked, pointing out non-Fry and Rice candidates, which led him to believe that they might receive a larger percentage of the vote than other surveys. I think you’ll see people who will remain loyal to Donald Trump but end up voting for his opponent.
These races are not subject to independent polling. Basswood Research for Winning for Women Action Fund conducted a survey of likely voters and found Mace to be 20 points ahead of Arrington. According to conservative Trafalgar polling, Mace was 6 points ahead of Arrington. The same polling firm found Rice leading Fry by 42.2 percent to 24.9%.
AdImpact tracking data shows that Rice and Mace outspent each other on the airwaves.
Each race has its own flavor. Since Trump’s “words” and “actions” that led to the Capitol riot, Mace has not been openly critical of him since then. Rice hails from a much more Republican district than Mace’s and has been strong in her support for his impeachment vote.
Steven Wright, Dorchester County GOP Chairman, said that “I don’t believe you could compare the two.” He noted that both Mace, and Arrington seek to claim the Trump policy agenda, while Rice said Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) would make a great House speaker. “Now, if he was interested in winning an electoral election, he wouldn’t even dare say such things.”
Wright was also echoed by Arrington, who won the 2018 primary to unseat Rep. Mark Sanford, then a Trump target, before losing the general election that fell.
She told NBC News that Rice polls at 24 percent. “People are unhappy that he voted for impeaching the president. Russell is clearly ahead in the polls. This could not be two different races. It’s not about impeachment. It’s about Nancy Mace turning her face away from the district.”
Because Mace didn’t vote for impeachment Arrington tried to portray Mace as someone who wasn’t focused on important issues that are of great importance to conservatives. Mace countered that Arrington was not fiscally conservative and would not be the best choice for helping to address issues such as national security and inflation.
Mace stated that endorsements only go so far. Voters care about policy. They care about the country’s future because they are concerned about inflation, the price of food, the price gas and national security. Therefore, they want candidates they can support who will work with them on these important issues.
South Carolina is a key early primary in the presidential nomination process. This has given South Carolina an added significance with other party members eyeing presidential bids. It also weighs Trump’s influence, as he seems all but certain to run for another White House.
This has meant that the country is involved in the race, and not just Trump. Former Governor of South Carolina gave Mace his backing. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is highly regarded in the state. Paul Ryan made a campaign stop to support Rice and was also supported by former Governor of New Jersey. Chris Christie.
Ryan, standing for Rice, took over his seat as House Ways and Means Committee Chair last week. Trump was furious when Ryan said to a crowd of supporters, “There were many people who wanted Tom to vote, but they just didn’t know how to.”
Trump believes that any birthday celebration can be made up of every little thing.
