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President Donald Trump said he will travel to South Carolina before the state's Feb. 29 Democratic presidential primary,setting up a potential messaging war between the White House and his Democratic rivals ahead of the vote.

Trump made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at Joint Base Andrews, where he took questions on the tarmac from Washington reporters before boarding Air Force One with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"I'll be going to South Carolina. They're working that out now," the president said of the potential visit, saying it will probably be Feb. 28, the day before the Saturday primary.

"Look, we have a big voice and we might as well use it," Trump said.

Joe Jackson, theRepublican National Committee'sSouth Carolina spokesman, could not confirm details of the trip but said Republicans would welcome the appearance.

"We're always happy to have the president in South Carolina," Jackson told The Post and Courier. "South Carolina went big for President Trump in 2016 and will do so again in 2020."

Trump has made a habit of making appearances in the early states holding Democratic presidential nominating contests as a means of both turning the spotlight on himself and upstaging his potential challengers.

So far, the president has made stops in both Iowa and New Hampshire. On Friday, Trump plans to travel to Nevada, which will be holding its caucus Saturday.

"We got more votes than any incumbent president in history, in Iowa and in New Hampshire," Trump said, adding, "I went the day before in both cases."

Trump's hints of a potential Palmetto State visit come one week after Vice President Mike Pence made a multi-stop swing through South Carolina on Thursday, which included headlining a Trump campaign fundraiser in Columbia and addressing The Citadel Corps of Cadets.

"I'm here for one reason, and one reason only: And that is that South Carolina and America need four more years of President Donald Trump," Pence said to applause at The Citadel Republican Society's annual Patriot Dinner.

During his public remarks in South Carolina last week, Pence made no mention of Trump's possible visit, but Pence did say he knew Trump would be "jealous" that he got to make the S.C. stop.

Should Trump be able to travel to South Carolina, he will arrive in a state that has all but cleared the way for him to receive all of the state's nominating delegates without contest.

The South Carolina Republican Party's executive committee in September voted to forgo their Republican presidential primary, citingcost as the top reason for scrapping it.

South Carolina is a traditionally Republican state. The governor, both chambers of the state Legislature, fiveof the states seven congressional districts, and both of its U.S. Senate seats are held by Republicans.

In the 2016 general election, Trump won 55 percent of the vote here.

Trump was also the victor in South Carolina's 2016 Republican presidential primary.

Reach Caitlin Byrd at 843-937-5590 and follow her on Twitter @MaryCaitlinByrd.

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Donald Trump says he will travel to South Carolina before Democratic presidential primary on Feb. 29 - Charleston Post Courier