White House Highlights Trump's South Carolina Tax, Investment and Security Agenda
The White House says President Donald J. Trump is returning to South Carolina to highlight what it describes as major gains for workers, families, seniors, and communities across the state.
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The statement frames the visit around tax relief, private investment, healthcare access, infrastructure funding, military readiness, and public safety. On taxes, the release says about one million South Carolina seniors benefit from a new senior deduction, with the average senior expected to pay zero federal taxes on Social Security benefits.
It also says South Carolina taxpayers saw average refunds of $3,476 in 2026. The White House says the Working Families Tax Cuts safeguarded 86,000 South Carolina jobs, $15 billion in state GDP, and $8 billion in workers' wages.
It also says South Carolina's new Opportunity Zone nominations were submitted to the Treasury in September 2026, made possible by the permanent extension of the program. The statement says South Carolina secured $200 million in first-year funding through the Working Families Tax Cuts' Rural Health Transformation Program.
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It adds that in September the state awarded $167.3 million in Rural Health Transformation Program grants to 228 rural providers for primary care, maternal care, pediatrics, and behavioral health. The release lists a series of private investments tied to South Carolina, including NorthMark Strategies' $2.8 billion high-performance computing center in Spartanburg, Octapharma's $1.5 billion critical care manufacturing facility in Rock Hill, and Ferrara Candy Company's $675 million project in Orangeburg County.
It also names investments from Okonite, Eaton, Scout Motors and its suppliers, Adeptus USA, TS Conductor, AmbioPharm, Rolls-Royce, Red Metals, Century Aluminum Co., George Utz Inc., Re:Build, Tyson Steel, Coastal Precast Systems, and UFP Packaging. On public works and federal support, the White House says South Carolina received a $23.5 million grant in July 2026 to replace 18 aging bridges across nine counties.
It says the FY 2027 NDAA authorized $161.7 million for a nuclear power training facility expansion at Joint Base Charleston and extended funding totaling $166.7 million for new recruit barracks at Parris Island. The statement also says President Trump approved South Carolina's request in October 2026 to raise the federal share of Hurricane Helene Public Assistance recovery costs from 75% to 90%.
It says nearly $10 million was awarded in September 2026 to eight South Carolina HBCUs, led by $2.4 million to South Carolina State. On crime, the White House says violent crime fell 11% and property crime fell 14% last year in South Carolina, with murders down 17%, robberies down 19%, aggravated assaults down 9%, and burglaries down 15%.
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It also says Charleston overall crime plunged 36% in 2025 and that at least 72 law enforcement agencies, including the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE.
