![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6926609.1718361292!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING With tornado advisories over in Ontario and Quebec, inspection of damage begins
The risk of tornados in Ontario and Quebec that prompted dozens of advisories Thursday morning and overnight appears to have passed.
Donald Trump used college football rivalry weekend to bask among his supporters in a state and region that are key to his presidential fortunes, while trying to upstage his Republican opponent Nikki Haley on her home turf at the Clemson-South Carolina football game.
The former president and current front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination walked into Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday night to chants of "We want Trump! We want Trump!" from fans gathered for the annual Palmetto Bowl, the state's biggest sporting event of the year.
Haley, a Clemson alumna and trustee who was twice elected South Carolina governor, did not attend.
Trump was a guest of Gov. Henry McMaster, Haley's successor. The entourage, which entered through a veritable tunnel of Trump supporters on its way to a private suite, also included South Carolina's senior U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, giving the former president a show of local political force at a game featuring Haley's alma mater.
McMaster ascended to the governor's office in 2017 when Trump elevated Haley to United Nations ambassador. Graham and Haley have mostly been allies over the years. But both men now back Trump, and the former president enjoys a wide polling lead among Republican primary voters. That includes nationally and in early nominating states like South Carolina.
At halftime, Trump came down to the field with McMaster, drawing mostly cheers and a smattering of boos as he walked around, posed for a few photos and waved. ESPN's broadcast on the SEC Network also showed the former president sitting with McMaster during the game.
Hours before kickoff, Trump's campaign announced that he had been endorsed by "more South Carolina legislators than all opposing candidates combined," including new backing from six state lawmakers who had previously supported U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, before the South Carolinian ended his presidential bid earlier this month.
Columbia was primed for Trump's visit. Around the stadium Saturday afternoon, more than a half-dozen electronic billboards around the capital city of Columbia boasted a message noting Trump's 2020 election loss and his pending legal cases: "You lost. You're guilty. Welcome to Columbia, Donald."
Some vendors around the venue, meanwhile, hawked Trump-related merchandise, including "Trump 2020" flags, from the previous election cycle. And some fans entering the stadium before Trump's arrival chanted "Let's Go Brandon!" -- a derogatory reference to President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in 2020.
Asked about the coming primary matchup with Trump, Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas called her "the only candidate with momentum" and referenced Haley's previous come-from-behind victories.
"South Carolinians know their governor has what it takes to win because they've seen her beat the odds before -- not just once, but twice," she said.
Trump has enjoyed tweaking Haley in her own state before. "In 2016, South Carolina gave us 44 out of 46 counties -- that's not so bad," he said at a state GOP dinner in August. "I can't wait to win all 46. We want to win all 46."
South Carolina falls fourth in the GOP voting calendar after Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, with the state's first-in-the-South primary coming up on Feb. 24, 2024. Several Southern states follow on March 5 as part of the Super Tuesday slate that puts more delegates up for grabs than any other day in the primary campaign.
Trump's South Carolina and Super Tuesday romps in 2016 gave him a delegate lead he would never relinquish.
Haley has answered Trump in recent weeks by emphasizing her roots as she campaigns in Iowa, which opens voting nationally with its Jan. 15 caucuses.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said recently in Ankeny, predicting a strong showing in the caucuses. "Then I go head-to-head with Trump in my home state of South Carolina. And we take it."
Trump, who tried to buy an NFL team in the 1980s and ended up part of a failed alternative league, has enjoyed sports cameos over the years. But college football has afforded him his most generous welcomes. Earlier this fall, he attended the Iowa State-Iowa game in Ames, Iowa, including stopping at a fraternity house before kickoff. And while he was president, he attended the 2018 national championship game in Atlanta and the 2019 Alabama-LSU regular season game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
------
Barrow reported from Atlanta.
The risk of tornados in Ontario and Quebec that prompted dozens of advisories Thursday morning and overnight appears to have passed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Friday to 'immediately' order a ceasefire in Ukraine and begin negotiations if Kyiv started withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO.
A new chatbot prompted some users to wonder how Meta's AI systems use their data and what, if anything, they can do to opt out of the new feature.
An Ontario woman said she was surprised when a laptop was delivered to her door that she didn't order, but it had her address on the label.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a political activist's attempt to trademark the phrase 'Trump Too Small,' saying the federal trademark office did not violate the First Amendment when it declined to register the mark.
An emotional Denis Bagaric spoke to CTV News outside of court on Thursday after a judge ruled his two remaining dogs would be killed, after a two year court battle on their fate, for the role they played in the death of a Calgary senior in June 2022.
Connor McDavid's dream of hoisting a Stanley Cup this spring is turning into a nightmare. Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves as the Florida Panthers held on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Thursday and take a 3-0 chokehold in the best-of-seven title series.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed into the second day of the G7 leaders' summit, which will feature a special appearance by Pope Francis.
A remote Australian community has taken revenge on a massive saltwater crocodile by eating the 3.6-metre (11.8-foot) beast blamed for devouring pets and chasing children.
In an attempt to invite one of the most popular recording artists in the world to the land of living skies – the City of Swift Current has offered to rename itself in honour of Taylor Swift.
More than a dozen dogs arrived by Cargojet early Thursday morning to the People for Animal Wellbeing Shelter to find a permanent place to call home in New Brunswick.
Peggy's Cove, N.S., is one of the most famous locations in the Maritimes. Recent visitors were treated to more than just the iconic landmark.
Hundreds of fans lined up to meet the Trailer Park Boys in Dartmouth, N.S., Tuesday, as Ricky, Bubbles and Julian promoted their new brand of potato chips.
Car break-ins plague Canadians across the country, but instead of worrying about theft, a northern Ontario woman is cleaning up a big mess that she says will not be covered by insurance after a black bear broke into her Honda Civic and took a nap.
Members of a Hutterite colony in southern Alberta have potentially built the world's tallest structure made of Popsicle sticks.
A dog who spent the first three-and-a-half years of his life suffering and almost a year at a shelter has found his forever home, according to the BC SPCA.
In most families, ringing in a 100th birthday is a massive milestone. Minni Pelman’s family certainly thinks so – as they celebrate her 108th birthday in the park outside her building.
Showing off the latest purchase in his Eaton's collection, Corey Quintaine joked he is rebuilding the former flagship store that used to sit at 320 Portage Avenue one Facebook Marketplace purchase at a time.