Why is former President Donald Trump attending the Clemson-South Carolina game?

Per a report from the Post and Courier, Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States is set to attend Clemson's matchup at South Carolina on Saturday.

Welp, the Palmetto Bowl just got a little more interesting. Per Caitlin Bird of the Post and Courier, former President Donald Trump will attend the Clemson - South Carolina game at Williams-Brice on Saturday.

The embattled former Commander and Chief is currently facing over 90 felony counts in four criminal cases in Washington, New York, Florida, and Georgia, while simultaneously looking to win the Republican nomination for the 2024 Presidential race. 

Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States / SI.com

So why is a potential World leader with so much on his plate taking time out to attend a rivalry game between a 7-4 Clemson and a 5-6 South Carolina? Well, Trump is a known sports fan, attending multiple college football games in the past including the Iowa-Iowa State game earlier this year and the 2020 National Championship, but realistically, this isn't the most premier of matchups he could be attending this weekend. 

No, this is likely about politics. It appears that Trump's chief competition for the Republican candidacy could be Nikki Haley, South Carolina's former governor. Haley held the office from 2011-2017 before being appointed the 29th United States Ambassador to the United Nations by, you guessed it, President Donald Trump. 

Dabo Swinney on Donald Trump coming to the Clemson-South Carolina game Saturday: "I don't care who comes to the game. I just care about who's playing in the game. Unless Shane (Beamer) is going to put him in and throw him a halfback pass or something."

— Christina Long (@christinalong00) November 21, 2023

What does this mean for fans? If you're attending; probably more traffic. If you're watching from home; probably a five-second b-roll shot of the former President coming back from a commercial break.