Trump maintains South Carolina lead - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

Washington D.C. (NBC News) — South Carolina’s upcoming Republican primary remains a two-tiered contest. Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz are fighting to win, while the remaining GOP candidates are fighting to keep their campaigns alive.

Trump is currently leading by 18 points in South Carolina polls.

Ted Cruz is hoping to secure more votes by promising a bigger U.S. fighting force in a state that’s home to lots of military jobs.

“With greater capacity to take on our adversaries,” Cruz vowed Tuesday, adding “Let me be clear: we will not go picking fights around the globe.”

Marco Rubio is using that same angle to pick a fight, charging Cruz voted against previous military expansion.

“So he’s very weak on national security, he knows that’s liability in South Carolina,” Rubio argued.