United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has angered the South Carolina Republicans after orchestrating the appointment of late Senator Lindsay Graham’s sister Darline Graham to finish his term.
However, he now wants Darline to run for a full six-year-term and this decision has created a rift among GOP leaders from the solidly red state.
The South Carolina leaders have warned that Trump’s decision to support and put his weight behind a political unknown could have serious consequences for the party. It is pertinent to note that Trump’s pick for governor of the state has already been rejected by the voters.
Chairman of Dorchester County GOP, CJ Westfall said: “The issue is that the president continues to get bad advice about South Carolina. We certainly empathise with Darline and even the president because Lindsay was a good friend.”
He added, “But we have got a lot more exciting options for this seat. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
The candid discussions suggest GOP leaders criticizing the presence of an incumbent with the same surname as previous leader in what was supposed to be the first ever open primary in the state in the last two decades.
Many leaders have labeled Trump’s support for Darline as some kind of extension of politican “coronations” and “monarchies”.
Darline Graham supporters are confident that voters will show an overwhelming majority in honour of her late brother. Whereas the incumbent senator’s official campaign have declined to comment on the matter.
Other potential candidates in the race include, Ralph Norman, Russell Fry, Mark Lynch, and Mark Sanford.
It remains to be seen if the 80-year-old president’s pick for senator will help the GOP retain its position or make it lose the seat to Democratic Party.
2026-08-01 19:52:00
