As S.C. primary nears, GOP presidential hopefuls plan multiple campaign events this weekend

With six weeks to go until South Carolina picks its Republican choice for president, several candidates in the GOP field are scheduled to make campaign stops across the Palmetto State this weekend.

On Friday, Donald Trump plans to hold a rally at Winthrop University in Rock Hill. On Dec. 30, the businessman was on Hilton Head Island, where he sought to assail Democrat Hillary Clinton by calling her husband, former President Bill Clinton, "one of the great abusers of the world."

Also Friday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is speaking at Dyar’s Diner in Pendleton, and Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is participating in a meet and greet sponsored by South Carolina Citizens for Life that’s being held at Carolina Haven in Columbia.

Then on Saturday, a forum on poverty and economic opportunity is expected to draw several GOP contenders. The forum, which will be held in Columbia, is sponsored by The Jack Kemp Foundation Forum on Expanding Opportunity. Candidates scheduled to participate include Bush, Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Carson also is expected to attend a private fundraiser in Charlotte on Friday.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is set to talk with reporters Friday about his failed bid for the presidency and major issues he expects the nation will face this year. Graham ended his 2016 campaign for president just before Christmas, saying he remains committed to working to achieve security for the American people and helping the GOP expand its base. The Associated Press contributed

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 7:11 AM with the headline "As S.C. primary nears, GOP presidential hopefuls plan multiple campaign events this weekend."