Paul Ryan, the former Republican speaker of the House, will travel to Charleston on Friday in a visit that puts him alongside a popular GOP figure in a state known for having an outsized influence on presidential politics.
The news of the trip was announced Thursday by the office of U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who will join Ryan.
While in Charleston, Ryan will tour the Charleston Tech Center, a newly opened tech incubator located in an Opportunity Zone, a tax program Scott introduced to help revitalize economically distressed communities.
It will be the first time in recent memory that Ryan has come to the Palmetto State. The visit is not explicitly political, but the fact that Ryan is appearing in an early primary state could raise eyebrows.
“Any time a national figure visits South Carolina, there’s always the questions of, ‘Are they testing the political waters? Are they meeting with potential donors or party activists? We’re a super influential state,” said Gibbs Knotts, a political scientist at the College of Charleston who co-wrote a book about the history of South Carolina’s presidential primaries, said the
The trip also comes as Ryan, who retired from Congress in 2018, is reasserting himself on the national political stage. Ryan, who was a Republican vice presidential candidate in 2012, has been relatively quiet since leaving Congress.
However, after Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential race, the Wisconsin Republican appears to be flexing his political muscle once again. With Trump no longer in the White House, Ryan has been joining other former Republican lawmakers, like former congressman and S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, in openly debating the future of the Republican party in a post-Trump era.
Last month, Ryan delivered a blistering speech at the Ronald Reagan Library, where he warned about the party’s reliance on a single figure, and acknowledged that “conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads.“
“If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere,” Ryan said on May 27.
Knotts said Ryan’s visit is an opportunity for both Ryan and Scott to discuss policy in a state that, historically, has cemented the direction of Republican presidential politics.
“In a primary state, it’s not just about getting elected but it’s about influencing the agenda,” Knotts said. “For anyone who cares about national policy, this is a place to be because of the influence of our primary, whether they are going to be a candidate or not.”
Scott, who is facing reelection next year for his Senate seat, has been unable to escape 2024 presidential buzz. In April, Scott delivered the GOP response to President Biden’s address to Congress.
Former United Nations Ambassador and S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley also is frequently mentioned as a possible 2024 presidential candidate.
Both Scott and Haley have dodged questions when asked about White House aspirations. Like Ryan, both Scott and Haley will soon also address what they see as the future of the GOP. They will participate in the speaking series “Time for Choosing,” the same event where Ryan spoke last month.
Though South Carolina carries political weight, no state is more synonymous with testing the presidential waters than Iowa, which is home the first-in-the-nation caucus.
Ryan has not visited Iowa this year.
In April, Scott spoke at a political fundraiser and reception hosted by Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann.
