COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former President Donald Trump was in Columbia on Saturday night. He was the keynote speaker at the state Republican Party Silver Elephant Gala.
This comes just a month after Trump's previous visit to Columbia, where he spoke to lawmakers at the Statehouse. On Saturday night, he spoke for about an hour and a half, touching on several topics, including border security and the economy. He also attacked Jack Smith, the special prosecutor investigating the former president.
"He's a deranged human being. You take a look at that face. You say that guy is a sick man. There's something wrong with him," Trump said. "Somebody said, 'Why don't you be nice to him?' I said, 'Yeah, wouldn't matter, wouldn't matter. This guy's a maniac.'"
Despite facing several felony charges, polls show the former president maintaining a lead over his rivals for the party's nomination. The Justice Department lawyers prosecuting Donald Trump have asked the judge to limit what the former president can say about the Jan. 6 case. This is in response to a social media post in which Trump appeared to promise revenge on anyone who goes after him.
Trump faces charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct Congress's certification of Biden's electoral victory. A Trump spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the former president's post is the definition of political speech.
On Friday, the former president entered his second not-guilty plea to the latest classified documents charges and waived his appearance for arraignment.