President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday to support Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) ahead of a special primary runoff scheduled for Tuesday. Graham is seeking to win the Republican nomination to succeed her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who represented the state for 31 years before his death in July. During the event, Trump encouraged his supporters to view the race as a personal referendum, stating, "Just say that I’m on the ballot one more time."
The rally followed a primary election last week in which Graham led her closest challenger, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), by eight percentage points but failed to secure the 50% majority required to avoid a runoff. The campaign has recently focused on Graham’s qualifications following a debate where she admitted she was "not that informed on national security," a signature issue for her late brother. Graham was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) to fill the seat temporarily following Lindsey Graham's death from a sudden illness.
During the Friday rally, Graham addressed the criticism regarding her lack of political experience, comparing her background to Trump’s 2016 campaign. "The critics say I shouldn’t run for the Senate. They say I’m not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged," she told the crowd. Trump defended her debate performance to reporters, characterizing her admission as "honest" and stating that while national security is his focus, Graham is focused on affordability and traditional conservative issues like the Second Amendment.
Trump’s appearance in South Carolina comes as he faces a series of losses by candidates he has endorsed in other states. On Tuesday, Trump-backed candidates lost in Wyoming and in two Florida House primaries. Earlier this year, endorsed candidates also lost in Georgia, Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota. Despite these results, Graham received further support on Friday from Gov. McMaster, who endorsed her candidacy, and appeared at the rally alongside Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), and Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC).
The scale of the political stakes is reflected in the candidates' recent performance and Trump's financial involvement. Graham secured 8% more of the vote than Norman in the initial primary but must now mobilize supporters for a second time in one week. While Trump has not yet spent funds from his $403 million MAGA Inc. super PAC on this race, he stated on Friday that he intends to use the funds to boost specific Republican candidates. The contest is also serving as a measure of the president's endorsement strength following losses by high-profile allies, such as Mike Lindell in Minnesota.
For federal policy, the vacancy in the Senate and the subsequent runoff impact the balance of power and legislative priorities in Washington. Trump warned rally attendees that a loss of Republican control in Congress could lead to investigations and impeachment proceedings against him by House Democrats. A victory for Graham would preserve the seat for an ally who has pledged to follow the president's agenda on military and national security matters. The next step in this process is the runoff vote on Tuesday, which will finalize the Republican ticket for the November general election.