Trump speaks to thousands in Conway, SC. Mocks Nikki Haley’s husband’s military deployment
In a sea of red hats, American flag apparel and a crowd of all ages, Donald Trump spoke about how the world would be different if he won, the importance of American oil and his opponents’ pitfalls.
Coastal Carolina University’s HTC Center, where Trump spoke, holds around 3,000 people and after the building reached capacity, thousands more stayed outside. It was estimated more than 2,000 people were outside. This is more than five times the 650 people who showed up for former South Carolina governor and presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s rally two weeks ago in the Myrtle Beach area.
There was also a large number of young people who showed up to support Trump — many who are teenagers and young adults unable to vote in the 2020 election.
During his speech, Trump mocked Haley’s husband, who is a member of the National Guard and is currently deployed in Africa, according to The New York Times. He will serve a year there.
“Where’s her husband? Oh he’s away, he’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband?” Trump said. “Where is he? He’s gone, he knew.”
Haley responded on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief.”
Trump also questioned Haley and President Joe Biden’s competency, especially Biden’s given his age. Biden is 81. He said out of the three, he would be the only one to pass a competency test.
This was among other topics Trump touched on, including the importance of American oil and the role it could play in the economy. He said the U.S. could be making lots of money by selling the vast amount of “liquid gold” underground in the U.S.
Trump said he believes that if he would have been in office, the war with Ukraine never would’ve started and that Hamas never would have attacked Israel.
Gen Z turns out for Trump
At the Trump rally in Conway, there were many college-aged and 20-something people attending. Some of them are students at CCU or others are visiting with their CCU friends.
Brianna Stefik, a 20-year-old CCU student, said she was excited to be there to listen to a former president speak. She also felt included in the crowd.
“The nice thing about college is everyone’s different, but it’s nice to be with people who understand my point-of-view,” Stefik said.
Ava Lorentz, who was dressed in a “Women for Trump” shirt and hat, seconded the feeling of community. The 20-year-old goes to college in New Hampshire but is visiting her cousin who attends CCU for the weekend. She said she met a woman in Conway who has been helping her move through the crowd.
Seats ran out hours before Trump came on stage, so people stood, making it difficult to maneuver through the crowd.
Lorentz said she arrived at the HTC Center at 8 p.m. Friday night and hadn’t eaten much since then. While staying outside, a guy she didn’t know bought burgers for people and shared with her.
“The energy is awesome; it’s good because there’s so many college students and the adults are also excited,” she said.
Supporters turn out to see Trump
Many Trump supporters who spoke to The Sun News said they support Trump’s immigration policies and hope that he will better the economy. Amber Mercer of Georgetown said she has to choose between buying her medication and food for her dogs and believes Trump will help bring down costs for essentials.
Trump visited Conway on Saturday for a “Get out the vote” rally. He spoke at 2:30 p.m. at the HTC Center on the Coastal Carolina University campus. He was in the Myrtle Beach area exactly two weeks before the Republican primary on Feb. 24, where he will face off with Haley.
This is Trump’s first campaign visit to the Myrtle Beach area since 2015 and residents in the area were excited to see him.
Trump was elected as the 45th U.S. president when he won the electoral vote. He ran for re-election in 2020 and narrowly lost to Joe Biden. He is running for president again, and although the primaries are not over, it is looking as if there will be another Biden v. Trump showdown this fall.
This story was originally published February 10, 2024 at 5:18 PM.
