COLOMBIA, SC – In South Carolina – where Donald Trump’s 2016 primary victory marked a turning point in solidifying his nomination, and where support for him remained high throughout his term – the race for the leadership of the Republican Party of state is turning into a debate over who supports the former president the highest.
On the one hand is Drew McKissick, seeking his third term at the helm of a party that last year further strengthened its power, expanding control in the legislature, regaining a seat in Congress and securing a fourth term for US Senator Lindsey Graham . McKissick successfully canceled the state’s Republican primaries in favor of supporting the incumbent, with McKissick saying that Trump faced “no legitimate challengers in the primaries” and had a “record of results” there.
On the other side is Lin Wood, a Georgia lawyer who insisted that Trump really won the election, but that he was rigged to lose. Trump praised Wood for doing a “good job” by filing lawsuits alleging electoral fraud, although the Trump campaign has sometimes distanced himself and dozens of lawsuits making such allegations have been rejected by the courts.
Wood was banned from Twitter in January after calling for the execution of then Vice President Mike Pence following Pence’s statement that he would not interfere with Congressional certification of the election.
McKissick secured Trump’s endorsement. In February, Trump said he had done a “great job” leading the party in the state, which, as the seat of the first presidential primaries in the South, plays a crucial role in the nomination process. Earlier this week, Trump doubled down after reports of Wood’s interest in surfacing, issuing a press release praising McKissick even more, but making no reference to Wood.
New to South Carolina, Wood last year bought three plantations totaling more than $ 16 million in Beaufort County, a coastal area south of Charleston, popular with retirees. Last month, Georgian authorities opened an investigation into Wood after allegations that he was not a legal resident, despite having voted for the state during the 2020 elections. Wood told the Associated Press that he only became a legal resident of South Carolina as of February 1.
During a call this week with Republicans across South Carolina, Wood said he felt “dissatisfied” with McKissick’s leadership during conversations with activists affiliated with Tea Party groups. Asked to explain further, Wood said McKissick was described to him as a “RINO” – Republican in Name Only – and that he felt that such a person was unsuitable for the state party, citing similar changes as his reasons for leaving Georgia.
“I don’t believe he supported some aspects of what happened to Donald Trump,” said Wood, referring to his widespread electoral fraud argument. “I believe that every legitimate leader should demand an investigation. Did Mr. McKissick do that? “
Asked to respond to those who question his Trump support credentials, McKissick laughed at the allegation.
“Some of these people who are shooting are more than likely libertarians who cannot win as libertarians, so they get involved in the Republican Party,” said McKissick. “You have, mixed in with this, a group of people who are using the name of Donald Trump to try to make people think they are the only true supporters of Trump, and everyone is a bunch of RINOs. I understood. It’s politics. This happens all the time.”
Despite McKissick’s confidence in his re-election, some grassroots activists within the state party say he should be replaced because of his support for the main opponents vying for the removal of a handful of Republican state legislators. Dean Allen, secretary of the Anderson County Republican Party and a former candidate for state aide, said he respected McKissick’s achievements, but would be looking at Wood or another candidate when the nominations come from the floor during next month’s convention. .
“Drew is a man of considerable talent,” said Allen. “But in the past two years, he has made some bad decisions. … I have no animosity against him personally. He just burned a lot of bridges with us here. “
For his part, McKissick is leaning towards his coveted endorsement.
“As the president pointed out, we achieved results here in South Carolina,” said McKissick. “When you win more Republican campaigns than anyone in more than 140 years, this is a good measure of how you did your job.”
McKissick said his confidence in Trump’s support was bolstered during a phone call on Tuesday, when the former president asked about Wood. (Trump) was like, ‘Who is this lawyer running against you? Does he at least live in South Carolina? Then he said, ‘This is weird’ or something. It was kind of comical. “
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Meg Kinnard can be contacted at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.