Former President Donald Trump was both cheered and booed when he attended the Palmetto Bowl football game at Clemson in South Carolina on Saturday, flanked by the state's governor and a senator on former Governor and presidential rival Nikki Haley's turf.

Trump's entrance was greeted by chants of "We want Trump!" but he also got some boos. Half a dozen billboards around the city of Columbia's stadium read, “You lost. You’re guilty. Welcome to Columbia, Donald.”

The Hill reported that there were pro-Trump billboards too, but did not specify what they said.

Trump attended the game at the invitation of current South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R). He sat in a private box with McMaster and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), another supporter.

Haley absent

Haley, who is an alumna of Clemson and a trustee, did not attend the game.

While she still comes in third to Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and remains in single digits in most polls, she has gained some support while DeSantis has lost some in the last few months.

A poll that featured head-to-head matchups between GOP presidential candidates and President Joe Biden showed Haley with the biggest lead over Biden, partly because she had the most support from Democrat voters.

In her own state, Haley is still 30 points behind Trump, 48-18 in one poll.

Gaining ground

She is now second or third in Iowa, depending on the poll, and second in New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Capitalizing on the momentum of increasing numbers in early states may help her stay in the race longer, but unless Trump's support takes a major dive, she doesn't have much chance of winning the nomination at this point.

Trump has also been on an upward swing as voters react indignantly to multiple indictments against him. They have also been disappointed with DeSantis, who has fizzled out from an early strong showing.

While Republicans have appreciated DeSantis's anti-woke messaging, his attempts to mimic Trump have come across as grumpy and not very personable.

If DeSantis is losing the personality contest that is the GOP primary at times, does Haley have what it takes to win it?

It's unlikely that she has a big enough and strong enough personality to overcome Trump--even if she has considerably less baggage.