With the S.C. Republican primary on the horizon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Lexington County for a town-hall-style event – only to suspend his 2024 presidential campaign a day later. 

DeSantis spent time in the Palmetto State on Jan. 20. His itinerary included three stops starting on the coast in Myrtle Beach, with a stop in Florence before his final campaign rally in Lexington. The event was hosted at Hudson’s Smokehouse BBQ on Sunset Boulevard with more than 300 people in attendance.

His visit to South Carolina came after the Iowa Republican primaries, where he and former Palmetto State governor Nikki Haley came in a distant second and third (with 21.2% and 19.1% of the vote, respectively) to former president Donald Trump (51%). 

The Republican primary in South Carolina will be held on Feb. 23. 

The Hudson’s town hall opened with a prayer from Grace Baptist Church and a short introduction of DeSantis by state Rep. Micah Caskey (R-Lexington). 

The event went through a whirlwind of emotions, as the crowd laughed, cheered and in one case became distraught over a tense interaction between the governor and a member of the audience.

DeSantis asked the crowd about the achievements that former Haley accomplished while in office, and his question was met with several answers. 

“I've been asking crowds what her big achievements were as governor here,” DeSantis said to the audience.

One crowd member shouted “Not a g#!d#!n thing,” while Regina Wasiluk, sitting in the front of the crowd, responded with, “I can.” 

The interaction intensified when Wasiluk attempted to talk about the agenda items she felt Haley did well, and the Governor was quick to shut her down.

“It’s not your show ma’am,” DeSantis said. “It’s not your show.”

Wasiluk, a teacher from Northeast Columbia, came to the rally after hearing about DeSantis’ questioning about the former governor. 

“I wanted to state the good things that Nikki Haley has done,” Wasiluk told a group of reporters after the interaction. “She's not being given the time or credit by him for the things that she has done for the children of our state, for the elderly people of our state, or all people in our state.”

Wasiluk said that she would not vote for Trump or DeSantis in the primaries or the Nov. 3 election, but rather her vote would go to Haley if given the nomination.

“I will vote for Haley,” Wasiluk said. “I came here today because I wanted to see what he really had to say. I wanted to ask him, then why should I vote for you?”

DeSantis announced Jan. 21 that he will not continue campaigning. 

“If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome — more campaign stops, more interviews — I would do it,” he said in his announcement. “But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”

His announcement also endorsed the former president after acknowledging the differences between their actions and opinions.

“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge,” DeSantis’ statement continued. “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear – a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism – that Nikki Haley represents.”

Rep. Micah Caskey said his support for DeSantis was primarily inspired by the governor's track record of accomplishing his campaign promises. 

“I think there's the difference with Gov. DeSantis and all of the other candidates is that he's proven that he can get the results,” Caskey told the Chronicle. 

The former mayor of Irmo, Barry Walker, also attended the event with a question of his own.

During the Q&A portion, Walker questioned what the DeSantis administration would look like regarding diversity.

“I do not do identity in politics, that's my view,” DeSantis said. “And yet, if you look at Florida, without doing that, I have had more African Americans run state agencies in my administration than anybody in the history of Florida.

Walker told the Chronicle that he is unsure who he supports.

“Nikki's got some issues but she’s also got some support,” Walker told the Chronicle. “The bottom line is the Democrats will nominate Joe Biden and the Republicans are going to nominate DeSantis, Nikki, or Trump … I know what Trump is all about and I don't think the country is ready for another Trump.” 

Trump is expected to lead in S.C. polls, according to CNN.

The Trump campaign reacted to DeSantis' announcement by releasing a statement expressing gratitude for the governor's endorsement and an attack on Nikki Haley: 

“With only a few days left until President Donald J. Trump’s victory in New Hampshire, we are honored by the endorsement from Governor Ron DeSantis and so many other former presidential candidates. It is now time for all Republicans to rally behind President Trump to defeat Crooked Joe Biden and end his disastrous presidency.”

“Nikki Haley is the candidate of the globalists and Democrats who will do everything to stop the America First movement,” the campaign added.

Trump has received endorsements from other S.C. officials, such as former presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Henry McMaster, who will join Trump in New Hampshire on Jan. 23 for its Republican primaries.