Trump Plays Both Sides in South Carolina Governor’s Race, Endorses Two Candidates

President Donald Trump is hedging his bets in the South Carolina governor’s race, endorsing both remaining Republican candidates to dodge another primary loss this month.

Initially, Trump threw his weight behind Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in late May, just days before the first primary. But on Friday, he announced his support for Attorney General Alan Wilson as well, declaring both candidates are “MAGA and America First all the way!”

“I can’t hurt one of them by only endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!” Trump proclaimed. “It’s a Wealth of Riches — With either one you can’t go wrong.”

Evette led the June 9 primary but failed to secure a majority, finishing with less than 30% of the vote and only a 3-point lead over Wilson, despite Trump's endorsement.

Since the primary, Wilson has gained momentum with endorsements from former opponents Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman. Following Trump’s announcement, Sen. Tim Scott also threw his support behind Wilson.

Wilson expressed gratitude for Trump’s backing on social media, emphasizing his commitment to uphold the administration’s agenda as South Carolina's attorney general.

“When President Trump needed fighters, I was in the fight,” Wilson stated on X. “Now, I am running for Governor to keep South Carolina strong, conservative, and free.”

Evette countered on X, asserting her pride in being Trump’s endorsed candidate and her anticipation of victory on June 23rd.

Trump’s dual endorsement comes after he faced unexpected defeats in two recent gubernatorial primaries.

In Iowa, Rep. Randy Feenstra, who received Trump’s endorsement alongside Evette, lost narrowly in the June 2 GOP primary to Zach Lahn, a businessman promoting the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

Trump later claimed he wasn’t given accurate information about that race, suggesting Lahn was “much more Trump” than Feenstra.

Earlier this week, billionaire Rick Jackson triumphed in the Georgia governor’s primary runoff against Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jackson positioned himself as a political outsider and aggressively courted Trump’s base during his campaign.

“Rick Jackson ran a great TRUMP Campaign,” Trump remarked on Truth Social after the runoff. “Very smart!”

This isn’t the first time Trump has endorsed multiple candidates in a single race. In the 2022 Missouri GOP Senate primary featuring former Gov. Eric Greitens and then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt, he stirred confusion by declaring that “ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”