South-Carolina

A subdued Donald Trump in South Carolina

Published

2 years ago

February 21, 2024

A subdued Donald Trump in South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina

I’ve now seen three versions of Donald Trump in the state where I grew up. In 2016, he was the impassioned underdog, battling against Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz in a state many in the national media assumed would decide against a New York limousine liberal and stop the Trump Train in its tracks. In 2020, he was the prideful, over-the-top champion of the conservative cause — he bellowed through a sweaty speech, calling out to the universal Republican endorsements in the audience, playing the hits to a stadium crowd mere weeks before the word “coronavirus” was known to the average American. And now in 2024, in the middle of a Greenville conference center room carefully prepared for a Laura Ingraham-hosted town hall, he is exhibiting a manner you rarely see from him: he is subdued.

The questions from Ingraham are pointed. (I add the note that I am a guest on her show, and a Fox News contributor, so I am biased.) She raises the big question early on: if it is true that Democrats are so good at cheating the early ballot/mail-in system, how do you expect to win? The implication, obviously, being that his continued complaints about these things do nothing to change the policy, and set up an obvious excuse should he lose in 2024. Trump answers: “Swamp them.” And that is his favored approach, as simplistic as it can be — win by so many that he cannot be denied, which he maintains the polls show now even though they do not (in the latest Fox poll, he is within the margin of error in Michigan, for example — a state he absolutely must win, especially if Pennsylvania is lost).

But still, he is subdued. When a questioner from the audience raises the issue of Ukraine aid, Trump handily pivots to flattery, complimenting the man on his common sense, and explicitly eschewing the labels of conservative and liberal. But then he dodges the question, saying that instead the need is for Europe to pay its fair share, as he demanded before and will demand again, citing varying amounts that would meet that obligation. He decries giving foreign aid to nations that hate us. He never says we should not be sending money to Ukraine, or that they hate us, or that they are corrupt. In Washington, it’s the most blatantly known fact that Trump is closer to the majority of the Senate than he is to J.D. Vance. And why wouldn’t he be? He remembers the Cold War, and he likes devastating responses, not running away from a fight like wussy men. He dismisses Nikki Haley not over neocon tendencies, but because she could never hope to beat him. His natcon supporters can only hope he fights the way they wish — until then, he’s not interested in their intellectual thinkpieces.

His answer when confronted with Nancy Pelosi’s latest near-incoherent claims of Russian compromise are perhaps the most effective recitation against such absurdities: that he had hard sanctions against Russia and Putin, that he killed the Nordstream pipeline and Joe Biden revived it, and that he took a destructive policy agenda against Russian proxies in Iran when Biden gave them cash and enabled them. There will be no 2024 debates, the Biden White House will be sure of that, but this was an answer that would have been impossible to rebut on stage.

Ingraham challenged Trump on his response to the death of Alexei Navalny, deemed insufficient and narcissistic by many on MSNBC, whose Just for Men voice of moral authority Joe Scarborough has done literally nothing about Navalny in recent years — the last time he mentioned him was in 2020, before Joe Biden was sworn in. (To Joe, the only useful Russian is a dead one who can be weaponized against Donald Trump.) Trump’s response was more measured than his Truth Social post, calling Navalny a brave man, who died for his bravery, and would have been alive if he had stayed outside Putin’s orbit. But then he compared himself to Navalny again, albeit on a lesser scale, for his persecution at the hands of New York judges and Georgia prosecutors. For his fans, who probably had not heard much of the Russian dissident prior to last week, it played.

But still, he is subdued. Perhaps this is just his age. His voice has changed, his mannerisms are more restrained, he seems somehow less goofy and more serious. Perhaps that’s the weight of all these cases hanging over his head. Perhaps it’s because he knows this is, realistically, the last time he can stand for the office and restore his status as a winner in the minds of all. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a recognition that figures like him in American history rarely get happy endings. Either you win, or you go down — and you go down hard. He’s fighting for his life. But also, for today at least: he’s winning.

Ben Domenech

Ben Domenech is an editor-at-large of The Spectator World. He is also a Fox News contributor and writes the Transom newsletter on Substack.

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South-Carolina

Men’s Golf Visits South Carolina for Colleton River Collegiate

Published

20 minutes ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Men’s Golf Visits South Carolina for Colleton River Collegiate

BLUFFTON, S.C. – Kentucky men’s golf begins the month of March at the Colleton River Collegiate this Sunday and Monday at Colleton River Club (par 72, 7403 yards).

UK joins a 15-team field for the 54-hole event, which will consist of 36 holes of continuous play on Sunday, followed by 18 holes on Monday. An 8 a.m. shotgun start will kick things off on Sunday, while Monday’s final round will begin with another shotgun start, this time at 7:45 a.m.

UK is paired with Indiana, Kansas State and Ohio State for the first day of play.

The Wildcats will utilize the same starting five, albeit in a different order, as was featured at the Watersound Invitational just two weeks ago. There, the Cats finished seventh in a loaded field and found themselves as high as third place during the final nine holes.

Sophomore Jacob Settles had the best showing of his collegiate career, finishing tied for seventh at 5-under par, while senior captain Jack Schoenberger had his highest finish of the season, placing tied for 14th at 2-under.

Jacob Lang, Luke Coyle and Cole Stockard will complete UK’s starting five alongside Settles and Schoenberger, the fourth time in six events the Wildcats have featured this starting unit.

Freshman Cameron Phillips will tee it up as an individual once again after an impressive showing in the same role at the Watersound where he tied for 29th and had two rounds under par.

Fans can follow along with live scoring on the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd website.

Kentucky Lineup:

Jack Schoenberger: Senior, Alpharetta, Ga
Jacob Lang: Sophomore, Alvaton, Ky.
Jacob Settles: Sophomore, Winchester, Ky
Luke Coyle: Junior, Campbellsville, Ky.
Cole Stockard: Freshman, Dalton, Ga.
Ind. Cameron Phillips: Freshman, Portsmouth, Ohio

Competing Schools (15): Chattanooga, Cincinnati, ETSU, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers

For the latest on UK Men’s Golf follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram @UKmensgolf, and online at ukathletics.com.

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South-Carolina

Biden visits Columbia, thanks SC Democrats for 2020 primary support

Published

12 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Biden visits Columbia, thanks SC Democrats for 2020 primary support

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Former President Joe Biden spoke Friday at the Columbia Art Museum in downtown Columbia at an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party to honor his more than 50 years with the party and to mark his 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary victory.

Biden entered the South Carolina primary having lost Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. His win in the state gave his campaign momentum heading into the rest of the primary calendar.

“People in this room brought my campaign back from the brink — a lot of pundits, people in the press had given up on me,” Biden said.

Biden said South Carolina’s support was central to his path to the presidency.

“If I could just get to South Carolina I could win the nomination, and I knew if I won the nomination I’d win the presidency because I knew what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama knew before me — South Carolina picks presidents,” Biden said.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said Biden’s performance in the state went beyond a primary win.

“Biden didn’t just win, he delivered,” Spain said.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 primary was a key moment in the campaign, attended the event. Clyburn praised Biden’s record of public service.

“There is no American ever who has demonstrated through his service more substance — and I might add sustenance — than Joseph Robinette Biden,” Clyburn said.

Biden also directed remarks at the current Trump administration and called on Democrats to turn out for November’s midterm elections to help flip the House or Senate.

“There’s no time to give up — it’s time to get up, get up, get up, continue to fight,” Biden said.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Room at CCPL Main Library closes May 1 for 8-10 weeks

Published

2 days ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina Room at CCPL Main Library closes May 1 for 8-10 weeks

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Researchers and history buffs will soon have to plan around a temporary closure at the Charleston County Public Library’s Main Library as renovations approach.

The library’s South Carolina Room, located at the Main Library at 68 Calhoun St., will temporarily close to the public beginning May 1, as the building prepares for renovation later this year.

The South Carolina Room is expected to be unavailable for about eight to 10 weeks during the transition. During that time, services, collections and in-person research assistance will not be accessible.

READ MORE | “Charleston County Public Library introduces new Youth Library Card options.”

The department will reopen to the public in a temporary location at 1248 Camp Road, though an official reopening date has not yet been announced.

The South Carolina Room is CCPL’s primary local history and genealogy research department. It preserves and provides access to materials documenting the history and people of Charleston County and South Carolina, including historical documents, maps, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers and other archival resources used for scholarly research, family history and community exploration.

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CCPL said the temporary relocation will allow continued preservation of materials while renovations at the Main Library are underway. Updates on reopening timelines and services will be shared at ccpl.org and through the library’s official communication channels.

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