Knotts’s commentary has been so incendiary over the years it has drawn gasps from South Carolina’s clubby political elite. In a 2010 episode, Knotts called both President Obama and the state’s Indian-American governor, Nikki Haley, “a raghead,” making national headlines and prompting a formal vote of censure from the Lexington County Republican Party.

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Knotts, 71, left office in 2012 following two decades in the state legislature because he lost his re-election to a petition candidate, Katrina Shealy. But he remains a prominent political figure in the Columbia suburbs of Lexington County, where both he and Haley are from.

His appearance with Trump comes only three weeks after Haley implicitly criticized Trump’s campaign rhetoric in her official Republican response to President Obama’s “State of the Union” address. Haley urged Americans to resist the temptation “to follow the siren call of the angriest voices.”

Trump reacted immediately by slamming Haley, although he appeared to smooth things over with her in the following days.

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In an interview on Monday night, Knotts said he disagreed with Haley’s speech.

“She said that he was angry," Knotts said. "Heck, yeah, he’s angry. I’m angry. There’s a lot of Americans angry these days, and they want somebody that’s ready to do something about the problems we’ve got.”

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Knotts said he was drawn to Trump’s candidacy because of his politically incorrect style. “This political correctness – people are tired of that,” he said. “I like his style. He doesn’t apologize, and he doubles down.”

Knotts added, “I support Trump 100 percent. I’m solid as a rock with Trump. I don’t know if my endorsement helps him, but if it does, everybody in Lexington County will know I support him.”

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Haley’s top adviser, Tim Pearson, dismissed Knotts’s political influence, though would not criticize Trump. “He’s the worst,” Pearson said. “The Tony Soprano of Lexington County, South Carolina – except not likable.”

A Trump campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Knotts’s endorsement.

Trump’s event will take place Wednesday at the Harmon's Tree Farm. Knotts said he was inviting “everybody I can” to attend the rally as well as his barbecue. He said he would serve “chicken bog,” a Southern dish that consists of chicken, rice and sausage. “We use Uncle Ben’s rice,” Knotts said.