MEG KINNARD

National politics reporter

Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina.
FILE - Former President Donald Trump holds a football before throwing it to the crowd during a visit to the Alpha Gamma Rho, agricultural fraternity, at Iowa State University before an NCAA college football game between Iowa State and Iowa, Sept. 9, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. Trump is set to attend South Carolina's biggest athletic event of the year, the Nov. 25 matchup between the University of South Carolina and Clemson University. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Donald Trump will be in South Carolina for the Palmetto Bowl football matchup after Thanksgiving
Former President Donald Trump is set to attend South Carolina’s biggest athletic event of the year. Trump’s campaign said Tuesday that he will be at the Nov. 25 matchup between the University of South Carolina and Clemson University.
 
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Ron DeSantis picks up 10 South Carolina endorsements from former backers of Tim Scott’s campaign
Ron DeSantis has picked up 10 endorsements in South Carolina from former backers of Sen. Tim Scott’s presidential campaign. In a list shared Friday with The Associated Press before its public release, South Carolina state Reps.
 
Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash
Nikki Haley says anonymity online poses a “national security threat.” The GOP presidential contender Tuesday called for user verification and said social media networks should reveal their algorithms.
 
Republican presidential candidates former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talk during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The 2024 Republican presidential field is rapidly shrinking. But is it too late to stop Trump?
The Republican Party’s once-crowded 2024 presidential primary field has suddenly shrunk to just a handful of viable candidates, but it’s unclear if the GOP is any closer to coalescing behind a clear alternative to former President Donald Trump.
 
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott abruptly ends 2024 presidential bid, shocking even his campaign staff
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott says he is ending his 2024 bid for president in a move that surprised his donors and stunned his campaign staff.
 
Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy talks with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., listens during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidates
The 2024 Republican presidential primary field has narrowed. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum dropped out of the race on Monday. The remaining GOP candidates are former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov.
 
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to supporters after filing President Joe Biden's paperwork to appear on South Carolina's 2024 Democratic presidential primary, on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Harris files paperwork putting Biden on South Carolina’s ballot to kick off 2024 Democratic primary
Vice President Kamala Harris has flown to South Carolina to file paperwork putting President Joe Biden on the 2024 presidential ballot of the state that will lead off the Democratic presidential primary.
 
Journalists attend a walk-thrrough of the theater ahead of the third Republican presidential debate, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Miami. Five hopefuls will participate in the debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, according to the Republican National Committee. They are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Want to tune in for the third GOP presidential debate? Here’s how to watch
It’s time for the third Republican presidential debate. The two-hour debate will start at 8 p.m. Eastern in Miami on Wednesday.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidates stand behind their podiums during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX Business Network and Univision, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. The field of candidates on stage for the third Republican presidential debate will be the smallest yet. The Republican National Committee says five candidates will participate in Wednesday night's debate in Miami. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
5 Republicans will be on stage for the third presidential debate. Here’s who missed the cut
The field of candidates onstage for the third Republican presidential debate will be the smallest yet. The Republican National Committee says five candidates will participate in Wednesday night’s debate in Miami. They are Florida Gov.
 
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel speaks at the committee's winter meeting in Dana Point, Calif., Jan. 27, 2023. A fourth Republican presidential debate has been set for Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with heightened polling requirements that could make the stage less crowded than before. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Requirements toughen for candidates to qualify for the GOP presidential debate next month in Alabama
A fourth Republican presidential debate has been set for next month, with heightened polling requirements that could make the stage less crowded than before.
 
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., right, answers questions next to AP National Politics Reporter Meg Kinnard, left, moderating, during an Associated Press 2024 GOP Presidential Candidates Conversations on National Security and Foreign Policy event, held in partnership with Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, at Georgetown University in Washington, Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Tim Scott praises ‘restraint’ of Israel’s Netanyahu, says US should move more firepower to region
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for showing what he calls “restraint” after Hamas attacked Israel over a week ago.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Oct. 9, 2023, in Boone, Iowa. Haley has long tried to set herself apart from her Republican presidential rivals on foreign policy. The war provoked by Hamas' attack on Israel has shaken American politics — and put the primary race inside her wheelhouse. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Hamas’ attack on Israel pushes foreign policy into the 2024 race. That could benefit Nikki Haley
The war provoked by Hamas’ attack on Israel has shaken American politics and put the Republican presidential primary race in Nikki Haley’s wheelhouse. Haley has long tried to set herself apart from her GOP 2024 rivals on foreign policy.
 
Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidates
Another Republican presidential candidate has dropped out of the crowded 2024 field. Former Texas congressman Will Hurd announced Monday that he was leaving the race and endorsing rival Nikki Haley.
 
Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence attends an Associated Press 2024 GOP Presidential Candidates Conversations on National Security and Foreign Policy event, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, held in partnership with Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, at Georgetown University in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Mike Pence says he is ‘deeply disappointed’ in vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker
GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence, the former vice president, chastised a group of hard-right Republicans who ousted Kevin McCarthy from his role as House speaker Tuesday, saying that “chaos is never America’s friend.”
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's fall banquet, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave, File)
Pence calls Trump’s attacks on Milley ‘utterly inexcusable’ at AP-Georgetown foreign policy forum
Former Vice President Mike Pence is criticizing his boss-turned-rival, Donald Trump, for calling retired Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a traitor.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand at their podiums during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
How to watch the second Republican debate tonight
The second Republican presidential debate is drawing near with a smaller on-stage lineup than last month’s event. The two-hour debate starts at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand on stage and listen to a prayer before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
7 candidates have qualified for the second Republican presidential debate. Here’s who missed the cut
The field for the second Republican presidential debate will be smaller than the first. The Republican National Committee says seven candidates have qualified for Wednesday night’s debate in California. Former Arkansas Gov.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Pray Vote Stand Summit on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Washington. Ramaswamy recently became the first 2024 candidate to join TikTok, which says it has over 150 million U.S. users. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
To TikTok or not to TikTok? One GOP candidate joins the app even as he calls it ‘digital fentanyl’
Republican presidential hopefuls have largely shunned TikTok, the hugely popular video-sharing app that many conservatives accuse of being a spy mechanism for China.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's fall banquet, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Haley is gaining attention in the GOP race with her calls for “consensus” around abortion, an unusual tone in a campaign where Republican White House hopefuls often prefer to highlight their eagerness to fight President Joe Biden and other Democrats. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave, File)
Nikki Haley’s approach to abortion is rooted in her earliest days in South Carolina politics
Nikki Haley is gaining attention in the GOP race with her calls for “consensus” around abortion, an unusual tone in a campaign where Republican White House hopefuls often prefer to highlight their eagerness to fight President Joe Biden and other Democrats.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand on stage before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
3rd Republican presidential debate is set for Nov. 8 in Miami, with the strictest qualifications yet
The third Republican presidential debate will be held in Miami on Nov. 8, and candidates will be facing the most stringent requirements yet to take part.
 
Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Pray Vote Stand Summit, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Trump plans to meet with striking autoworkers in Michigan instead of attending second GOP debate
Former President Donald Trump will travel to the battleground state of Michigan next week to meet with striking autoworkers instead of participating in the second Republican presidential debate.
 
Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks at a campaign event, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Rye, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Tim Scott wants new rules for stage placement in next GOP debate as he seeks a breakout moment
Sen. Tim Scott wants the Republican National Committee to change specifications for this month’s presidential debate, suggestions that could put the South Carolina Republican in a better onstage position.
 
Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee hears motions from attorneys representing Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. Prosecutors in the Georgia election subversion case involving former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a trial would likely take four months. Chesebro and Powell have filed demands for a speedy trial, meaning their trials would need to get underway by very early November. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Georgia special grand jury report shows Graham and others spared from charges, and more new details
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis pursued charges against roughly half of the people recommended to her by a special grand jury tasked with investigating efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election.
 
FILE - Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Christie says DeSantis put ‘politics ahead of his job’ by not seeing Biden during hurricane visit
Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put “politics ahead of his job” by declining to meet with President Joe Biden during Biden’s weekend visit to survey Hurricane Idalia’s damage in DeSantis’ state.
 
The U.S. Capitol is seen, Wednesday, Aug 30, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Prosecutors in all 50 states urge Congress to strengthen tools to fight AI child sexual abuse images
The top prosecutors in all 50 states are calling on Congress to study how artificial intelligence can be used to exploit children through pornography, and come up with legislation to further guard against it.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., right, walks by Casey DeSantis, wife of GOP rival and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, as he speaks at Rep. Jeff Duncan's Faith & Freedom BBQ fundraiser, Aug. 28, 2023, in Anderson, S.C. Republicans are responding to a late summer spike in COVID-19 by raising familiar fears that government-issued lockdowns and mask mandates are on the horizon. GOP presidential hopefuls including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former President Donald Trump have spread this narrative in the last week. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)
In the pivotal South Carolina primary, Republican candidates search for a path against Donald Trump
Several campaigns are placing a huge emphasis on South Carolina, where the Republican primary is traditionally the last chance for many White House hopefuls to break through before Super Tuesday.
 
The White House is illuminated in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Who’s running for president? Here’s a rundown of the 2024 candidates
With more than a year until the 2024 presidential contest, the field of candidates is largely set. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have continued to dominate the early Republican race.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. DeSantis says he got a $1 million cash bump after Wednesday night’s presidential debate. His campaign says that amount came in over the first 24 hours after DeSantis and seven other contenders met in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
DeSantis reports raising more than $1 million as Republicans hope for post-debate boosts
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he got a $1 million cash bump after Wednesday night’s presidential debate. His campaign says that amount came in over the first 24 hours after DeSantis and seven other contenders met in Milwaukee.
 
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy talks with Sean Hannity in the spin room after a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Ramaswamy raises $450,000 in first hours after Republican debate as campaigns try to seize momentum
The first Republican presidential debate provided an opportunity for candidates to make their cases directly to a national audience, and some of that attention is translating into boosts for their campaign coffers.
 
This combination of photos shows Republican presidential candidates, top row from left, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy, bottom row from left, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Governor Asa Hutchinson. (AP Photo)
Want to tune in for the first GOP presidential debate? Here’s how to watch
It’s almost time for the first Republican presidential debate. The two-hour debate will start at 9 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday and be moderated by Fox News Channel hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
 
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