Donald Trump's comments asserting that Black voters were more drawn to him after his multiple indictments on criminal charges drew sharp rebukes over the weekend from his Republican challenger for the presidential nomination, civil rights activists and others. Trump on Friday likened his 91 criminal charges in four separate criminal cases to discrimination faced by Black Americans and said that they had come to "embrace" his mug shots. Trump’s legal challenges, including federal charges over his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and his handling of classified documents, among other state charges and civil lawsuits, differ greatly from the historic inequities Black Americans have experienced in the criminal justice system.
Since the South Carolina Republican Party introduced the state's "First in the South" presidential primary in 1980, the race has often positioned one GOP contender as the unquestioned front-runner moving into later primaries. In 2024, South Carolina could once again prove decisive in the Republican presidential primary, albeit as a potential final nail in the coffin. Heading into Saturday's contest, former President Donald Trump holds a dominant position in the GOP race over his only remaining major opponent, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.