Trump Will Attend Palmetto Bowl Between South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrives at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 28, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Former President Donald Trump will attend this Saturday’s college football game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers, his campaign said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the campaign said President Trump “will attend the Palmetto Bowl in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at 7:30 PM EST.”

The annual Palmetto Bowl will be held at Williams-Brice Stadium, where the University of South Carolina will take on in-state rival Clemson University.

Citing a November poll by Winthrop University, his campaign said President Trump “continues to crush his primary opponents in South Carolina with a majority (52%) of support from Palmetto State Republicans.”

The Winthrop Poll, which surveyed 1,665 South Carolina registered voters from Nov. 4 to 12, found former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in second place with 17 percent, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 12 percent.

Ten percent of respondents said Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) would be their choice of GOP presidential nomination. The South Carolina senator withdrew from the 2024 race earlier this month.

“Haley continues her steady lead over DeSantis for the distant second choice among South Carolina Republicans,” Winthrop Poll Director Scott Huffmon wrote in a press release. “However, the Miami GOP debate occurred in the middle of our polling, so we may not have picked up whether she received any bump from her debate performance.”

President Trump held a rally in Hialeah, Florida, on Nov. 8, during the third Republican presidential debate in Miami, which drew lower ratings than the previous two.

Mr. Huffmon added: “With Tim Scott’s surprising departure from the race, Haley will see how many ‘favorite son’ voters can be converted to ‘favorite daughter’ voters. This should give Haley a little more room in seeking non-Trump endorsements from Republican politicians and leaders in the state.”

South Carolina

President Trump will be at the Palmetto Bowl at the request of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who is among seven governors that have endorsed President Trump for his 2024 White House bid.

During a press conference on Nov. 14, Mr. McMaster said he and his wife had issued the former president a “standing invitation” to come to the Clemson–South Carolina game. The governor added, “I'd like to have him here for any reason.”

“Gov. McMaster and Lt. Gov. [Pamela] Evette look forward to joining President Trump this Saturday to show him first-hand the passion and tradition that makes this rivalry the greatest in college football,” said Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for Mr. McMaster.

The annual Palmetto Bowl is the hottest ticket in South Carolina’s college football realm. Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the South Carolina Gamecocks, has a capacity of 77,559.

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Palmetto Bowl was the longest continuous non-conference rivalry in the nation, the second longest continuous rivalry in Division I college football, and the longest uninterrupted rivalry series in the south,” the website for the Palmetto Bowl says.

Last year, the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Clemson Tigers 31 to 30. Prior to last year’s game, the Tigers had won seven straight games against their rival.

The Palmetto Bowl is not President Trump’s first college football game this year. In September, he attended the annual Cy–Hawk matchup between Iowa State University and the University of Iowa in Ames. Before the game, the former president stopped by Iowa State Cyclones’ Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity house, threw footballs to a crowd, and flipped burgers.

Former President Donald Trump greets fans tailgating outside Jack Trice Stadium before the start of the Iowa State University versus University of Iowa football game in Ames, IOwa, on Sept. 12, 2015. Scott Olson/Getty Images

President Trump began his 2024 campaign in New Hampshire and South Carolina in January, during which he unveiled his 2024 South Carolina leadership team. The team, headed by Mr. McMaster, includes Ms. Evette, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Reps. Russell Fry (R-S.C.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

It is unclear if Ms. Haley will attend Saturday’s game. The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations graduated from Clemson University in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In October 2021, she was named to the Clemson Board of Trustees.

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), another Clemson graduate, put up a “Welcome President Trump” picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 21.

“There’s no better game in college football than when the Tigers face off against the Gamecocks! Sound off in the comments on which team President Trump should root for this weekend. I’m biased, but I’m cheering on my Clemson Tigers!” Mr. Duncan wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.