Trump endorses Jenny Costa Honeycutt for South Carolina’s 1st District

Trump the president threw his weight behind the attorney and business owner in a Truth Social post, calling her an America First patriot who would fight to cut taxes and secure the border.

First Published: July 13, 2026, 11:46 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump endorsed Jenny Costa Honeycutt for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot and Highly Respected Jenny Costa Honeycutt, who is running to represent the fantastic people of South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District! A very successful Business Owner, Attorney, Civic Leader, and Loving Wife and Mother, Jenny has dedicated her life to serving her Community. As your next Congresswoman, Jenny will fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Create GREAT Jobs, Keep our Border SECURE, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. Jenny Costa Honeycutt has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

The endorsement came in a Truth Social post published on July 13, 2026 at 3:35 PM ET. Trump described Honeycutt as a business owner, attorney and civic leader, and tied her candidacy to his core policy agenda. He said she would work to cut taxes, secure the border and defend the Second Amendment.

A presidential endorsement carries weight in a Republican primary, where Trump’s backing can reshape a crowded field overnight. Candidates who win his support often gain fundraising momentum and name recognition, while rivals scramble to reposition themselves. For voters in the coastal district anchored by Charleston, the endorsement signals which candidate the president wants in the House.

South Carolina’s 1st District runs along the Atlantic coast and has swung between the parties in recent cycles. The seat drew national attention in 2018, when a Democrat captured it before Republicans reclaimed it in 2020. The district has since leaned Republican, making the primary contest a pivotal step toward the general election.

Has this happened before? Trump has issued hundreds of candidate endorsements across recent election cycles, and this fits a well-established pattern. In the last 30 days, 99 of 516 Trump posts carried the topic “Elections,” according to Zenger analysis. The volume shows how central campaign endorsements remain to his public messaging as the midterm season approaches.

The next decision rests with the voters of South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District when they cast ballots in the party primary. A specific date for that contest has not been announced in the post.

Congressional endorsements from a sitting president are not new to South Carolina politics. In 2010, Nikki Haley won the Republican nomination for governor after a late endorsement from Sarah Palin lifted her past better-funded rivals, and she went on to win the office. Haley later served as United States ambassador to the United Nations. The episode showed how a single high-profile endorsement can turn a crowded primary and launch a national career.