Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Trump's South Carolina Rally Tests His Influence With Republicans
Donald Trump asked South Carolina voters to act as if he were running in the election.
He wants them to vote for Darline Graham, the candidate he supports.
Graham is competing against Ralph Norman in a Republican runoff.
She did not win enough votes to avoid the runoff.
Her campaign also faced criticism after she struggled during a debate question about Taiwan and national security.
Norman is a very conservative lawmaker who once supported Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican primary.
Trump and Republicans want strong voter turnout in the November elections.
Democrats hope voters will be motivated to oppose Trump’s agenda.
The race may show how much influence Trump still has when he himself is not on the ballot.
Donald Trump urged South Carolina voters to “pretend” he was on the ballot and support his endorsed candidate, Senator Darline Graham.
Graham is facing Representative Ralph Norman in a Republican runoff after failing to win the special primary outright.
Graham’s campaign was weakened by a debate performance in which she said she was not well informed on national security.
Norman has a highly conservative voting record but previously endorsed Nikki Haley before returning his support to Trump.
The race is being viewed as a test of Trump’s ability to motivate Republican voters before the November midterm elections.
- Who
- Donald Trump, Darline Graham, Ralph Norman, and South Carolina Republican voters are central to the race.
- What
- Trump is campaigning for Graham in a Republican runoff and asking voters to treat the contest as if he were on the ballot.
- When
- Trump made the appeal on Friday; the runoff follows a special primary earlier this month, with general elections scheduled for November.
- Where
- The appeal was made at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
- Why
- Trump wants to increase Republican turnout and test whether his influence can help his endorsed candidate while Republicans seek to retain control of Congress.
Trump-backed Darline Graham
Ralph Norman
Candidate profile
Trump-backed Darline Graham
Graham presents herself as a conservative outsider and says she is not a polished politician; Trump argues that she is smart and will deliver on issues important to him.
Ralph Norman
Norman has one of the most conservative voting records in Congress and has served as an elected representative.
Relationship with Trump
Trump-backed Darline Graham
Graham has Trump’s endorsement and is being promoted by him as a way to maintain Republican turnout.
Ralph Norman
Norman supported Trump during his first term, endorsed Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican primary, and later backed Trump after Haley withdrew.
National security and Senate rules
Trump-backed Darline Graham
Graham said she was not well informed on national security during the debate but later said she would support the military and the president; she also supports ending the filibuster.
Ralph Norman
The articles do not provide a specific Norman position on Graham’s debate comments or on ending the filibuster.
- Endorsed candidate
- Senator Darline Graham
- Republican opponent
- Representative Ralph Norman
- Trump’s appeal
- Voters should “pretend” Trump is on the ballot and turn out for Graham.
- Key debate issue
- Graham stumbled on a question about Taiwan and said she was not that informed on national security.
- General-election outlook
- The Republican nominee is favored to face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews.
- Broader stakes
- Republicans are trying to retain control of the House and Senate in November.