Trump seeks to boost Darline Graham in South Carolina homestretch

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Today's Top Stories - August 20, 2026

Today's Top Stories - August 20, 2026

President Trump is seeking to give Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) a final boost as her candidacy hits a road bump in the race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). 

Trump will hit the campaign trail Friday for Darline Graham, whom he appointed to fill out her brother’s term, ahead of her runoff election in the GOP primary Tuesday against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). 

The race will stand as a test for the strength of Trump’s endorsement as Graham, a political novice, enters the arena. 

Her inexperience was on full display on the debate stage Tuesday, when she flubbed a national security question, drawing attacks on her fitness to serve in the Senate.

Trump and Graham are slated to campaign in Myrtle Beach, which is home to former Senate candidate Rep. Russell Fry’s (R-S.C.) district. Fry lost his bid for Senate in the initial Republican primary election to replace Graham and did not advance, making his support base critical for Norman and Graham. 

“Myrtle Beach is the exact correct place for them to go. It is the heart of Russell Fry’s district and home to probably the largest population of persuadable voters that we expect will be voting,” said Mick Mulvaney, who served in Trump’s first administration and represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the House. 

“Trump will obviously carry a lot of weight. But how much remains to be seen. Polling indicates that maybe only 40 percent of voters put a lot of weight on his endorsement,” he continued. 

“That, combined with her astonishingly poor performance in the debate earlier this week, may make this race much closer than people realize,” he said. 

During her primary debate against Norman on Tuesday, Graham was asked how Taiwan and........

© The Hill