Trump Rallies in South Carolina, Pushing Right-Wing Agenda for Senate Candidate Darline Graham
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President Donald Trump campaigned in Myrtle Beach, urging South Carolina voters to back Darline Graham, a political outsider and sister of the late conservative Sen. Lindsey Graham, in the Republican Senate runoff against hardliner Rep. Ralph Norman.
President Donald Trump addressed a crowd at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Friday, once again stoking division and fear as he called on voters to participate in the Republican Senate runoff in South Carolina. Trump, who has consistently undermined democratic norms, declared that “our country’s on the ballot,” attempting to frame the election as a battle for the soul of the nation and urging every so-called “patriot” to support Darline Graham, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister, who is seeking to inherit her brother’s legacy of obstruction and right-wing policies.
“You have to get out and vote,” Trump demanded, making it clear that the first step to sending Graham to the U.S. Senate is winning the Tuesday runoff—a move that would further entrench conservative power.
Graham, who has no elected experience and previously led a state agency, tried to deflect criticism about her lack of qualifications by comparing herself to Trump, who also entered office with no public service background. She praised Trump’s endorsement, saying, “I think he’s done a damn good job,” ignoring the chaos and harm caused by his administration.
The rally was marked by Trump’s usual fearmongering about immigration, including his now-routine reading of “The Snake,” a 1960s song he distorts to demonize immigrants and whip up xenophobic sentiment among his base.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, traveling with Trump, announced she would return to the White House after a brief family leave and later join the president at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas, further cementing the administration’s focus on partisan campaigning over governance.
Trump’s appearance comes just four days before the August 21 runoff, where voters will choose between Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman for the Republican nomination, a contest that will determine which hard-right candidate appears on the November ballot.