Trump Tells South Carolinians To Vote For Lindsey Graham’s Sister As A Favor To Him

Darline Graham had never contemplated elected office before her older brother Lindsey died suddenly last month, but Donald Trump on Friday told a few thousand of his followers in South Carolina that they needed to give her a full term in the U.S. Senate anyway.

“Darline is somebody I’ve known for a long time, I asked her to do this. I said, ’Darline, you got to do it because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her. I’ve known her through Lindsey,” he told his Myrtle Beach Convention Center audience. “I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me.”

Trump then launched into his typical speech, lying about how much foreign investment is coming into the United States, claiming “affordability” is a scam, that the Strait of Hormuz is now American territory, praising the Village People’s song “YMCA” as the “gay national anthem,” attacking former President Joe Biden and 2016 election opponent Hillary Clinton and warning that Democrats are trying to bring “communism” — with occasional mentions of “Darline” sprinkled in, as if he were addressing his remarks to her.

“I am doing this to honor Lindsey,” he said a little later as he claimed that some South Carolina voters were opposing Graham only because they were trying to hurt him. “I think she’s going to do phenomenally. I really think it’s amazing. You know, she’s never done it before, but she knows politics well. But she loves things. She loves our military. She loves things that have to do with greatness for America.”

Only 39 minutes into remarks that stretched well over an hour did Trump provide even a brief biography of the candidate he was ostensibly in South Carolina to support.

“Darline led an important state agency with 130 employees, and she ran it impeccably, and a $90 million budget. She served on the South Carolina Workforce Development Board, which was legendary to help working families,” Trump said.

After 44 minutes, Trump brought Graham onto the stage, where she spoke for three.

“Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me. Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?” she said. “We love President Trump in South Carolina, don’t we? Yes, we do. This is Trump country. Yeah! USA! USA! USA!”

As she took the stage, some attendees began leaving the convention center.

Graham finished first in a field of 10 candidates in the Aug. 11 primary but received fewer than a third of the ballots cast, even though she had already received Trump’s endorsement. Ralph Norman finished second, with 25% of the vote.

Friday night’s rally site, Myrtle Beach, is the hometown of Congressman Russell Fry, who finished third on Aug. 11 with 20% of the vote. Trump quickly talked Fry — who will still be running for reelection for his House seat in November — into endorsing Graham.

Whether either his or Trump’s endorsement will persuade voters to back Graham is unclear.

Scott Huffmon, a political scientist and pollster at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, said Norman has the reputation in the state as a “disruptor” and continues to enjoy the support of Republican voters who value that.

“I say it comes down to whether the disruptors are motivated or will the Trump visit motivate the MAGA true believers to lace up their boots and march to the polls,” Huffmon said.

The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November and, given South Carolina’s history in recent decades, is very likely to win the general election.