Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign rally in Pickens, South Carolina drew a sizable and enthusiastic crowd, as shown in videos shared on Twitter on July 1. However, Trump’s appearance at the event coincided with mounting legal challenges from ongoing investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ). These investigations include allegations of his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and his recent indictment in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
Trump, the first former president in American history to face federal charges, has pleaded not guilty in the classified documents case, while the DOJ’s probe into the Capitol riot remains ongoing.
Prominent political correspondents, such as Daniel Baldwin from One America News and Alayna Treene from CNN, shared videos and pictures showcasing the massive lines forming before the rally. Baldwin described the crowd as an “INSANE TURNOUT in South Carolina,” highlighting the fervor of Trump supporters for the “MAGA movement.” Senator Lindsey Graham and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, both staunch allies of Trump, were among the early attendees at the event.
Scheduled to speak at 1 p.m. ET, Trump expressed his excitement about the crowd size in a post on Truth Social, emphasizing the word “AMAZING!” He also mentioned the guest speakers, including South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Representatives William Timmons, and Russell Fry.
Trump’s visit to South Carolina comes amidst a legal battle in the classified documents case. The DOJ initiated the investigation after classified documents were found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in August of the previous year.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, criticized the investigation and the DOJ, and claimed to have declassified the documents before leaving the White House. However, a leaked audio recording published by CNN raised controversy as Trump admitted to retaining secret material after his presidency and acknowledged his lack of authority to declassify them.
Despite these legal challenges, during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Trump dismissed the classified documents probe as a “witch hunt” and embraced the indictments as a symbol of courage in his fight against what he labeled as the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists, and fascists. He addressed the audience at the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women’s annual Lilac luncheon in Concord, using the indictments as a rallying point for his political agenda.
