SC GOP picks speaker for annual Silver Elephant gala. Here's who it is
'His bold, conservative leadership in Virginia has inspired Republicans across the country,' SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement. He's shown that strong principles and smart policy win elections — and more importantly, deliver results.'
The black-tie optional event is one of the premier speaking slots in South Carolina, a state that holds the First in the South Republican presidential primary.
It's an opportunity for a potential presidential hopeful to test their message in front of Republican donors and activists. Previous speakers have included President Donald Trump in 2023, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2021 and former Vice President Mike Pence in 2008.
The gala is scheduled for Aug. 9 at the Columbia Convention Center.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PFL exec offers Donald Trump a White House card with Francis Ngannou prior to UFC event
The idea of hosting fights at the White House has the entire MMA world going crazy, and PFL wants in on the action. During a recent speech, president Donald Trump revealed the idea of hosting a UFC event at the executive residence as a part of the country's 250th anniversary. Trump wants to go big and host 25,000 spectators, similar to a typical UFC pay-per-view event on Independence Day in 2026. Even though there were no additional details, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was "dead serious" about the event. Advertisement Now, PFL wants to be part of the festivities, creating an all-day MMA extravaganza. PFL chairman and founder Donn Davis tagged Trump in a message on X (formerly Twitter), offering a stacked lineup of seven fights that would take place prior to UFC event. The proposed fight card includes the biggest names in the promotion including Francis Ngannou, Cris Cyborg, Dakota Ditcheva and Usman Nurmagomedov. "MMA at White House great idea @realDonaldTrump for July 4, 2026," Davis wrote. "PFL has WOW fight card for MMA fans to celebrate USA 250 anniversary! @PFLMMA afternoon @ufc evening" The full fight card proposed by Davis includes: Advertisement Francis Ngannou vs. Vadim Nemkov Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes Dakota Ditcheva vs. Liz Carmouche Renan Ferreira vs. Denis Goltsov Johnny Eblen vs. Corey Anderson Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco AJ McKee vs. Jesus Pinedo While the president may be serious about hosting an MMA event on the White House grounds, there are significant logistical hurdles. The White House is not a sports event venue, and does not have an indoor area large enough to host an event at the scale Trump wants. Therefore, the event would have to take place outdoors, which major promotions typically avoid due to weather. The UFC has always maintained a firm stance against hosting fights outdoors due to conditions that could affect the fighting surface, potentially causing problems for the fighters. However, considering the relationship between Trump and UFC CEO Dana White, the promotion may make an exception to pull off the event. If it goes forward, PFL hopes to be a part of the action too. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: PFL exec offers president Donald Trump a White House card for 2026


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump plans to phase out FEMA. Here's what it could mean if you live in a floodplain
President Donald Trump announced plans June 10 to phase out FEMA, according to a report from Reuters. Here's what we know about FEMA: What does FEMA stand for? FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the U.S. Why will President Donald Trump phase out FEMA? Is Trump ending FEMA after 2025 hurricane season? On June 10, Trump said he plans to start "phasing out" FEMA after the hurricane season, according to the Reuters report. The president noted states would receive less federal aid to respond to natural disasters. "We're going to give out less money," Trump said. "We're going to give it out directly. It'll be from thepresident's office. We'll have somebody here, could be Homeland Security." FEMA currently oversees the distribution of financial aid to states following a president's declaration of a disaster. State governors are being encouraged to work together in response to natural disasters, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She believes that FEMA "fundamentally needs to go away as itexists." "We're building communication and mutual aid agreements among states … so that they can stand on their own two feet with the federal government coming in catastrophic circumstances with funding," Noem said. When is the 2025 hurricane season in the US? When is Trump phasing out FEMA? The hurricane season officially started in the U.S. on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. This season is expected to generate as many as 10 hurricanes, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast last month. What is FEMA? FEMA exists to help people "before, during and after disasters," according to The agency's core values can be found at: 'We Are FEMA' or Publication One (Pub 1). How did FEMA start? President Jimmy Carter officially created FEMA in 1979 through an executive order, according to FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003, and has roots dating back to 1803. What is the maximum FEMA payout in 2025? FEMA may help pay for costs insurance doesn't cover up to a maximum award amount. In 2025, the maximum amounts are $43,600 for "housing assistance" and $43,600 for "other needs," according to FEMA. How Trump's decision to end FEMA could impact you Flooding causes more destruction in the United States than any other form of severe weather. It can happen anywhere, whether you live in a coastal Florida city or in the Midwest. In the past 10 years, damage from flooding has averaged $46 billion per year, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates the cost will increase by as much as a third in 2050 because of climate change. It's unclear exactly how Trump's plan to end FEMA would impact the Midwest. But the decision to give out fewer federal dollars could affect the amount of money struggling homeowners receive and how quickly that money is dispersed after a severe weather event. Others are reading: Map shows where anti-ICE, Trump protests have occurred around the US What's my risk of flooding? How much risk you have for flooding depends on where you live and how often floods occur. To understand your risk, it's recommended you learn whether you live in a floodplain. FEMA flood maps: Find out if you live in a floodplain in Indiana Visit to find out how often floods happen in your area. Use tools, maps and past claims data to understand your flood risk and make informed decisions to stay safe. To see if your home is situated on a floodplain, visit and enter your address at: Reuters reporter Nathan Layne contributed to this article. Chris Sims is a digital content producer for Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bitcoin, Dogecoin, XRP Rise as Bessent Hints at Trade Deals Before Liberation Day Tariff Deadline
Major cryptocurrencies rose Sunday morning as the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at upcoming trade deals before the July 9 Liberation Day tariff deadline. Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency by market value, gained over 1%, briefly topping $109,000. Payments-focused XRP and Solana's SOL token gained over 2% each, with meme token dogecoin (DOGE) rising 3%, according to data source CoinDesk. Ethereum's ether, the second-largest token, rose 1.5% to $2,550. In an interview with CNN, Bessent stated that the U.S. is close to finalizing several trade deals ahead of the July 9 deadline, when the temporary pause in higher tariffs initially announced on April 2 is set to expire. "President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don't move things along, then on August 1, you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level. So I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly," Bessent said, per Reuters. Bessent explained that July 9 remains the deadline for negotiations, failing which higher tariffs, announced in early April, will take effect from Aug. 1. "We are saying this is when it's happening. If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate, that's your choice," Bessent told CNN, adding that some countries were 'foot-dragging' on getting to deals. Since taking office early this year, President Donald Trump has been focused on making the U.S. wealthy again by imposing tariffs on goods imported from other countries, a coercive tactic aimed at rebalancing trade relations and reducing the U.S. trade deficit. Trump announced sweeping tariffs on April 2, starting with a 10% base tax on all trading partners and additional amounts on many countries, with some ranging as high as 50%. The so-called Liberation Day announcement triggered a sell-off in financial markets, with U.S. stocks taking a significant hit alongside a sharp decline in bitcoin, which fell to $75,000. The panic likely prompted the Trump administration to announce a 90-day pause a week later. Since then, the so-called U.S. exceptionalism has resurfaced in financial markets, lifting major U.S. equity indices to record highs. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have outperformed their global peers, with BTC rallying to trade above $100,000. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data