南卡罗来纳州哥伦比亚市——在南卡罗来纳州，唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)2016年的初选胜利标志着巩固其提名的转折点，在他的整个任期内，对他的支持度一直很高——领导该州共和党的竞争正变成一场关于谁对这位前总统的支持度最高的辩论。

一方是德鲁·麦克基西克(Drew McKissick)，他寻求第三次执掌一个去年进一步加强了权力的政党，扩大了对立法机构的控制，赢回了一个国会席位，并确保了美国参议员林赛·格雷厄姆(Lindsey Graham)的第四次连任。麦克基西克成功取消了该州的共和党初选，支持现任总统，麦克基西克说特朗普“没有合法的初选挑战者”，并且在那里有“成绩记录”。

另一边是佐治亚州律师林·伍德(Lin Wood)，他坚持认为特朗普实际上赢得了选举，但选举被操纵让他输掉了。特朗普称赞伍德在提出声称选民欺诈的法律挑战方面做得“很好”，尽管特朗普的竞选团队有时与他保持距离，数十起提出此类指控的诉讼被法院驳回。

今年1月，在彭斯声明他不会干涉国会对选举的认证后，伍德呼吁处决当时的副总统迈克·彭斯，此后他被禁止在推特上发布消息。

麦克基西克获得了特朗普的支持。今年2月，特朗普表示，他在领导该州的政党方面做得“很好”，该州作为南方第一次总统初选的所在地，在提名过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。本周早些时候，在伍德对该职位感兴趣的报道浮出水面后，特朗普加倍努力，发布新闻稿进一步赞扬麦克基西克，但没有提到伍德。

伍德刚到南卡罗来纳州，过去一年在查尔斯顿以南的沿海地区博福特县购买了三个种植园，总价值超过1600万美元，深受退休人员的欢迎。上个月，格鲁吉亚官员对伍德展开调查，此前有人指控他在2020年选举中投票，但他不是合法居民。伍德告诉美联社，他从2月1日起才成为南卡罗来纳州的合法居民。

在本周与南卡罗来纳州共和党人的电话会议上，伍德说，在与茶党团体成员的活动人士交谈时，他感觉到了对麦克基西克领导的“不满”。当被要求详细说明时，伍德说，麦克基西克被描述为“RINO”——名义上的共和党人——他认为这样的人不适合该州，并引用类似的变化作为他离开佐治亚州的原因。

伍德说:“我不相信他支持唐纳德·特朗普身上发生的某些方面。”他指的是他关于普遍选民欺诈的论点。“我认为，每个合法的领导人都应该要求进行调查。麦克基西克先生做到了吗?”

当被问及如何回应那些质疑特朗普支持资格的人时，麦克基西克对这一指控一笑置之。

麦克基西克说:“其中一些人很可能是自由意志主义者，他们不能作为自由意志主义者获胜，所以他们加入了共和党。”“你有一群人，他们用唐纳德·特朗普的名字试图让人们认为他们是唯一真正的特朗普支持者，而其他人都是一群绿诺科技公司的人。我明白。是政治。这种事时有发生。”

尽管麦克基西克对自己的连任充满信心，但该州一些基层活动人士表示，他应该被替换，因为他支持初选挑战者，争夺少数共和党州议员的席位。安德森县共和党秘书、前州副官长候选人迪恩·艾伦(Dean Allen)表示，他尊重麦克基西克的成就，但在下个月的大会上，当提名来自全体议员时，他会期待伍德或另一位候选人。

“德鲁是一个相当有才华的人，”艾伦说。“但在过去几年里，他做了一些糟糕的决定。...我个人对他没有任何敌意。他只是在这里和我们架起了许多桥梁。”

就麦克基西克而言，他倾向于自己梦寐以求的代言。

“正如总统指出的那样，我们在南卡罗来纳州取得了成果，”麦克基西克说。“当你在140多年里赢得的共和党竞选比任何人都多时，这是衡量你工作表现的一个很好的标尺。”

麦克基西克说，他对特朗普支持的信心在周二的一次电话中得到支撑，当时这位前总统询问了伍德的情况。“(特朗普)就像，‘这个和你竞争的律师是谁?“他甚至住在南卡罗来纳州吗?”然后他说，‘真奇怪’，或者类似的话。有点滑稽。"

Trump looms large in race for South Carolina GOP chairman

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- In South Carolina — where Donald Trump's 2016 primary victory marked a turning point in solidifying his nomination, and where support for him remained high throughout his term — the contest to lead the state's Republican Party is turning into a debate over whose support for the former president is highest.

On one side is Drew McKissick, seeking his third term at the helm of a party that last year further strengthened its power, expanding control in the Legislature, winning back a congressional seat and securing a fourth term for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. McKissick successfully called off the state’s Republican primary in favor of throwing support behind the incumbent, with McKissick saying Trump faced “no legitimate primary challenger” and had a “record of results" there.

On the other side is Lin Wood, a Georgia attorney who has insisted Trump actually won the election, but that it was rigged for him to lose. Trump has praised Wood as doing a “good job” filing legal challenges claiming voter fraud, though Trump's campaign has at times distanced itself from him, and dozens of lawsuits making such allegations were rejected by the courts.

Wood was banned from Twitter in January after calling for then-Vice President Mike Pence's execution following Pence's statement he would not interfere with congressional certification of the election.

McKissick has secured Trump's endorsement. In February, Trump said he had done a “great job” leading the party in the state, which, as home of the first-in-the-South presidential primaries, plays a crucial role in the nominating process. Earlier this week, Trump doubled down after reports of Wood's interest in the position surfaced, issuing a news release further praising McKissick but making no reference to Wood.

New to South Carolina, Wood over the past year has purchased three plantations totaling more than $16 million in Beaufort County, a coastal area south of Charleston, popular with retirees. Last month, Georgia officials opened an investigation into Wood following allegations he had not been a legal resident despite voting in the state during the 2020 election. Wood told The Associated Press he only became a legal resident of South Carolina effective Feb. 1.

During a call this week with Republicans across South Carolina, Wood said he sensed “dissatisfaction” with McKissick’s leadership during conversations with activists affiliated with tea party groups. Asked to elaborate, Wood said McKissick had been described to him as a “RINO” — Republican In Name Only — and that he felt such a person was the wrong fit for the state party, citing similar shifts as his reasons for leaving Georgia.

“I don’t believe he has supported some aspects of what happened to Donald Trump,” Wood said, alluding to his argument of widespread voter fraud. “I believe that every legitimate leader should be demanding an investigation. Has Mr. McKissick done that?”

Asked to respond to those questioning his Trump support credentials, McKissick laughed off the allegation.

“Some of these people who have been taking shots are more than likely Libertarians who can’t win as Libertarians, so they get involved in the Republican Party,” McKissick said. “You’ve got, mixed with that, a group of people who are using the name of Donald Trump to try to make people think they are the only true Trump supporters, and everybody else is a bunch of RINOs. I get that. It’s politics. It happens all the time.”

Despite McKissick's confidence in his reelection, some grassroots activists within the state party say he should be replaced because of his support of primary challengers vying to unseat a handful of Republican state lawmakers. Dean Allen, secretary of the Anderson County GOP and former candidate for state adjutant general, said he respected McKissick's accomplishments but would be looking toward Wood or another candidate when nominations come from the floor during next month's convention.

“Drew is a man of considerable talent,” Allen said. “But in the past couple of years, he’s made some bad decisions. ... I don’t have any animosity toward him personally. He’s just burned a lot of bridges with us here.”

For his part, McKissick is leaning into his coveted endorsement.

“As the president pointed out, we’ve achieved results here in South Carolina,” McKissick said. "When you win more Republican campaigns than anybody in more than 140 years, that’s a pretty good measuring stick of how you’ve done your job.”

McKissick said his confidence in Trump's backing was shored during a phone call Tuesday, when the former president asked about Wood. “(Trump) was like, ‘Who’s this attorney guy who is running against you? Does he even live in South Carolina?' Then he said, ‘That’s weird,’ or something like that. It was kind of comical."