In the South Carolina Republican Party’s biggest fundraiser of the year, former President Donald Trump on Saturday downplayed his not guilty plea to criminal indictments earlier in the week.
According to one story, “during his hour and a half speech, he continued to claim the 2020 election was rigged, but there’s no evidence of this happening. He also said of his recent indictments that they aren’t worth the paper they are printed on and called Special Counsel Jack Smith deranged.”
The enthusiastic South Carolina crowd welcomed him with a standing ovation of several minutes, according to media reports.
“Under my leadership, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world,” Trump said, according to The State newspaper. “When I get back in office, I’m going to reverse Bidenomics and restore the trajectory I created toward increasing this country’s financial prosperity.”
The first-in-the-South presidential primary in South Carolina, which will include two homegrown candidates — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former Gov. Nikki Haley — is to be in February.
CP OPINION, Brack: How you can help strengthen our democracy
“Now that Trump, the leading GOP candidate for president in 2024, will face a reckoning on his attempt to keep power in 2020, you may wonder what can be done to buttress our democracy and make it stronger in the years ahead so that what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, doesn’t happen again. The answer comes from two words: You and participation.”
In other recent headlines:
CP NEWS: Thousands visit Charleston’s new IAAM museum. More than 18,000 people have walked through the quiet display rooms of the new International African American Museum since it opened June 27.
CP NEWS: S.C. is 8th in student debt levels. South Carolina was recently ranked eighth on a list of states coping with the most student debt in a new study.
CP NEWS: Broadway political plan comes to Charleston. A fast, furious and funny political play comes to Queen Street Playhouse — POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. The play follows seven women, the inner circle of an unnamed U.S. president, after a presidential PR blunder spins into an international crisis.
Charleston police probing shooting that left one dead. Police are investigating a Sunday morning shooting in downtown Charleston’s East Side that left one man dead of “obvious gunshot wounds.”
WEATHER: 120 million at risk for severe storms in days ahead. Over 120 million people in the eastern United States are at risk this week of severe thunderstorms from Atlanta to Philadelphia, including parts of South Carolina. Look for heavy wind gusts, hail, rain and some tornadoes. Along the coast, areas may experience dangerous heat levels. In the Midlands and Upstate, severe storms are possible.
Huge Mega Millions jackpot still up for grabs. After no winner on Friday, Tuesday’s jackpot is $1.55 billion — with a take-home lump sum of $757 million. Wowee!
Charleston Co. looking at property tax incentives. Why? As a way to boost affordable housing.
Lots of new homes planned for West Ashley. Mungo Homes says it plans to build 800+ homes in one location in West Ashley and another 568 in another.
Arguments begin today over Wilson’s payment of $75 million. Court arguments start today over whether Attorney General Alan Wilson’s $75 million payment to private attorneys was lawful.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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