President will travel to Columbia on Monday to campaign for McMaster

COLUMBIA - President Donald Trump is returning to South Carolina next week to make a last-minute campaign appearance in Gov. Henry McMaster's bid for a first full term.

The McMaster campaign said in an emailed statement on Tuesday night that Trump will join McMaster in Columbia on Monday. The campaign also said that Vice President Mike Pence was planning to come to the state to campaign with McMaster on Saturday, saying details for both events would be announced later.

A source close to McMaster told The Associated Press that the event with Pence would be held in Myrtle Beach. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because of not being authorized to speak publicly about the plans.

Trump's visit comes a day before the state's voters decide between McMaster and Greenville businessman John Warren in a runoff for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. McMaster was the top vote-getter in a June 12 primary but fell short of the 50 percent needed to win the nomination outright.

Trump has previously endorsed McMaster, who as lieutenant governor was the nation's first statewide elected official to back Trump in early 2016. McMaster became governor when Trump selected Nikki Haley as his U.N. ambassador. In October, Trump visited the state for a fundraiser for McMaster, who has widely circulated footage from the event in his campaign ads.

Also Tuesday, Warren's campaign announced a high-profile visit of its own. Campaign officials said Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame would appear with the businessman during a campaign stop today in Greenville.

Earlier this month, Robertson recorded a YouTube video in which he called on "all you South Carolina duck hunters ... you beaver hunters, trappers, fishermen, and the ones that live by your Bibles" to support Warren.