President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening rallied Republicans in South Carolina, warning voters to turn out for the 2026 midterm elections to stop Democrats from undoing GOP policies.
The president made a pit stop in Pendleton to boost Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) and other GOP candidates at Clemson University’s T. Ed Garrison Arena, where thousands gathered to hear him speak. Trump invited Graham to speak onstage and asked boxing legend Evander Holyfield to address the crowd as well, marking a surprise appearance from the former heavyweight champion.
Trump hit his usual round of topics during the event, discussing issues ranging from the economy and war in Iran to transgender athletes in women’s sports and voter ID. As he seeks to boost voter turnout in the elections, which will take place in just under two weeks, Trump painted a stark picture of the differences between the two parties, saying voters have a choice between “common sense” and “radical-left Democrat communists.”
“On election night, South Carolina is going to prove that America does not belong to those who hate it. America belongs to those who love it,” the president said. “Everyone here today is part of the greatest movement in the history of our country. And our spirit, really our Republican spirit, it’s the spirit of common sense. It’s the spirit of — we want a strong military, we want strong borders. We want great education for our children. We want a beautiful house for as good as we can get.”
Trump slammed Democrats down the ballot, saying they want to “loot your wealth, raise your taxes by $5 trillion, annihilate your borders, decimate South Carolina industries that are thriving, mutilate your children with this stupid transgender stuff, and give 25 million illegal aliens amnesty and the right to vote.” He ripped Democrats in Congress for voting against his landmark One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, saying they voted against “record tax cuts,” including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security “for our great seniors.”
“The radical-left Democrats want to burn it all down,” Trump told the crowd.
In contrast, the president sought to frame Republicans as the party of prosperity, claiming his administration has achieved more in two years than any other presidency in the history of the United States.
Trump again reiterated his promise to give every voter a $5,000 dividend from tariff revenue if Republicans sweep the midterm elections, touting a “record-setting $22.2 trillion that’s being invested in our country in just 15 months.” He even named the war in Iran, which has proven controversial, on his list of “achievements” the White House has accomplished, saying it kept “nuts” in the Middle Eastern country from having a nuclear weapon.
“Half of the things that I’m telling you I did, I never discussed in the campaign,” Trump reflected. ” I never said we’re going to take over Venezuela beautifully. I never said we’re going to stop Iran from having a nuclear. … Think: If they had a nuclear weapon, we would be a tinderbox. We would be, I mean, our lives would be very different because they are nuts. They are nuts. They don’t play games with me. They don’t play games.”
Throughout the night, Trump’s speech was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers. At one point, the president praised a rally attendee for targeting a protester who disrupted the rally, calling it an “incredible” act.
“He got whacked,” the president said of the protester. “He started, you know, that screech, whatever the hell they do, whatever they practice, and as he’s in the process of the screech, he got whacked.”
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Trump’s appearance in South Carolina comes as Darline Graham, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister, is battling off a challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews.
Though Darline Graham is widely expected to win in the red state, polls paint an unexpectedly close race ahead of Election Day, triggering efforts from Trump and others to boost her in South Carolina.