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Trump to hold midterm rally in Clemson to boost GOP midterm turnout

President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Aug. 21, 2026.
LUIS-ALFREDO GARCIA
/
SCETV
President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Aug. 21, 2026.

The Republican National Committee said President Donald Trump will travel to Clemson, South Carolina, on Oct. 21 for a midterm rally before Election Day.

President Donald Trump will return to South Carolina for the second time in three months to hold a midterm rally boosting Republicans.

The Republican National Committee said Trump will hold a rally in Clemson on Wednesday.

The advisory did not specify the location but said doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and Trump will begin his remarks at 7 p.m.

Trump is expected to use the rally to help boost Republican candidates like U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, who has found herself in a more competitive race against Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews as she seeks to hold the seat for a full six-year term.

Gov. Henry McMaster named Graham in July to fill her late brother Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat in the upper chamber after he died unexpectedly on July 11 at age 71 from an aortic tear.

Other candidates running for higher office are likely to attend next week's rally in the Upstate.

Trump on Thursday night held a telephone rally for Graham and Republicans 1st District candidate Jenny Costa Honeycutt and Attorney General Alan Wilson, the GOP nominee for governor.

Honeycutt and Wilson face Democrats Nancy Lacore and state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, respectively, on the November ballot.

This is Trump's second visit to South Carolina since August, when he held a rally in Myrtle Beach to help boost the chances of Graham in her primary runoff race against Congressman Ralph Norman.

Meanwhile, a handful of possible 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls have visited the early-voting state in the past few months to help motivate Democratic turnout in the midterms.

Possible candidates have included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and, most recently, Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor and former President Barack Obama's chief of staff.

Early voting starts Oct. 19 and ends Oct. 31.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter) is a news reporter with South Carolina Public Radio and ETV. She worked at South Carolina newspapers for a decade, previously working as a reporter and then editor of The State’s S.C. State House and politics team, and as a reporter at the Aiken Standard and the Greenville News. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of North Carolina-Asheville in 2013.