GOP presidential candidates vying for support in South Carolina

SALT LAKE CITY — As the 2024 GOP presidential primary season begins to start up, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are three important states to keep an eye on.

Earlier this week, many of the GOP candidates were in South Carolina for a fundraising event. Meg Kinnard, a national politics reporter for the Associated Press, was there as well. 

She joined KSL NewsRadio to discuss where things stand early in the process and how voters are feeling.

 

Kinnard says 2,000 people showed up for the fundraising event.

“South Carolina, there’s never a dull moment in politics,” she said. “We’ve always got something going on and particularly leading up to a presidential primary season. It’s a busy place.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did attend the event in South Carolina. He was in Florida dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. 

However, Kinnard said Casey DeSantis, the first lady of Florida, came to South Carolina. 

“There was a lot of interest in what she had to say,” Kinnard said. “. . . And a lot of applause and certainly a good reception for her.”

With former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott vying for GOP nomination, what is the sense there among voters?

Kinnard says former President Donald Trump continues to be popular there and maintains a lot of support.

“But there are a lot of folks out there who say that they still plan on supporting him at least at this point in the race,” she said. “But there are also a lot of voters who have indicated that they haven’t quite made up their minds.”

Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson can be heard weekdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app. 

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