ALAN WILSON: A Decade Of Trump Dominance In South Carolina
Ten years ago, South Carolina voters helped shape the trajectory of modern American politics. Our state did more than participate in a presidential primary. It played a defining role validating a movement that would…
Ten years ago, South Carolina voters helped shape the trajectory of modern American politics. Our state did more than participate in a presidential primary. It played a defining role validating a movement that would reshape the national debate.
In 2016, I committed to hosting a series of public forums for Palmetto state conservatives to meet all of the candidates, and it was clear one stood head and shoulders above the rest. More than 5,000 people showed up in Aiken, S.C. in 2015 to meet Donald Trump. We were all blown away, but South Carolina has always been Trump Country.
Many voices doubted him. Party insiders resisted him. Commentators dismissed his campaign. South Carolinians, however, recognized something different: a leader speaking with clarity, challenging political conventions, and refusing to shy away from the issues voters believed Washington had long ignored.
That conviction carried him to a historic victory in our state. Ten years ago, Trump approached the South Carolina Presidential Primary, the First in the South state, neck and neck with Ted Cruz. He lost in Iowa, won in New Hampshire, and all eyes were on the Palmetto State.
South Carolina families sent a resounding “Yes!” that Donald Trump should be president, and his victory sent shockwaves. It was the turning point not only for the 2015 primary campaign, but arguably the history of the world.
The years that followed demonstrated why the Make America Great Again movement mattered. I watched President Trump govern with the same resolve that defined his campaign. He fought for American workers, made border security a central priority, rebuilt our military strength, and forced Washington to confront problems it had ignored for decades. His leadership style was not shaped by consultants or political tradition–his actions were driven by promises made directly to voters. We defended and advanced his agenda in South Carolina and supported him against national Democrats, and he won big.
Then in 2020, President Trump again won South Carolina, this time against Joe Biden. Voters reaffirmed their confidence in his leadership and agenda. While fighting against blue states and Radical Left actors trying to change election law through bureaucrats instead of legislation, he won a record number of votes here in South Carolina.