CLEMSON — Former president Donald Trump will be in attendance at Clemson football’s game against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was asked for his reaction to news of Trump’s appearance during his press conference Tuesday.
“I don’t care who comes to the game,” he said. “I just care about who’s playing in the game. Unless (South Carolina coach Shane Beamer) is going to put him in and throw him a halfback pass or something.”
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It won’t be Clemson’s or Swinney’s first experience with the former president. The Tigers visited the White House twice while Trump was in office after winning the national championship in 2016 and 2018.
Trump’s appearance at the game Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, SECN) comes as he is on the campaign trail for the 2024 election. He is the current front-runner for the Republican party’s nomination, polling at an average of 60% among Republican primary voters according to FiveThirtyEight. One of his opponents is former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who is also a member of Clemson University’s Board of Trustees.
South Carolina’s Republican primary is Feb. 24, and Trump is polling at an average of 49% among Republican primary voters in the state.
Video: Clemson football Coach Dabo Swinney on Donald Trump at USC game
Clemson football Coach Dabo Swinney on former US President Donald Trump at USC game Nov 2023.
Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@greenvillenews.com.