Two members of Aiken County's federal delegation said former President Donald Trump would be a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, particularly if he can keep the same tone and message he had Tuesday night.
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., addressed Trump's announcement that he will run for president a third time in 2024.
Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016. He defeated Hillary Clinton in the general election. He faced no serious contenders for the Republican nomination in 2020, but lost the general election to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Wilson, whose district includes Aiken and Barnwell counties and most of the Columbia suburbs, said he supports Trump. He was successful in the development of good-paying jobs, lowering taxes, controlling inflation, re-building the military, reducing regulations, achieving energy independence, opening the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, enforcing the border and appointed judges who interpret the law, not make it, Wilson said.
"Based on his speech last night, Trump has proven he will be a fierce competitor in the campaign for Republican nominee for president in 2024,” Wilson said.
Graham, South Carolina's senior senator, said on Twitter if Trump keeps the same tone and delivers his message on a consistent basis, he will be hard to beat.
"His speech tonight, contrasting his policies and results against the Biden Administration, charts a winning path for him in the primaries and general election," Graham said. “As we listen to President Trump remind us of what is possible regarding our borders, economy, and national security, it is my hope that he will continue to focus on the solutions that he offered tonight to restore a broken America.”
Trump's announcement also drew responses from Democrats.
President Joe Biden, who has not announced whether he plans to run again in 2024, released a 52-second video on Twitter on Tuesday with a headline , "Donald Trump failed America."
Jaimie Harrison, the South Carolina native who chairs the Democratic National Committee, said on Twitter to mark calendars at 9:41 p.m., which was the time Fox News cut away from Trump's speech that began at 9 p.m.
He added he agreed with the network's decision.
"This is low energy," Harrison said.
He later retweeted a tweet from Steven Peoples, the chief political reporter for the Associated Press, who noted that Fox News broke away a second time during Laura Ingraham's show.
Harrison said even Ingraham was bored during the announcement.
