Trump Warns South Carolina Voters They’ll ‘Lose Everything’ if Darline Graham Falls Short
President Donald Trump issued an urgent appeal to South Carolina Republicans Friday night, warning that they could “lose everything” his administration has accomplished if Sen. Darline Graham fails to win her Republican primary runoff and urging supporters to vote as though Trump himself were on the ballot.
Speaking to a packed crowd at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Trump acknowledged a challenge Republicans face in the midterm elections: he is not personally running. To motivate his supporters, the president told them to “pretend” they were voting for him when they head to the polls Tuesday.
“What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump told the crowd. “Just come and vote. It’s so important.” He later repeated the appeal, telling supporters to act as though his name appeared on the ballot “one more time.”
Trump argued that Graham’s race is about much more than determining who represents South Carolina in the Senate. He portrayed it as a referendum on his administration’s agenda and warned that Republican losses in Congress could threaten policies enacted since he returned to the White House.
The president specifically highlighted border security and tax cuts, including provisions involving tips, overtime and Social Security benefits for seniors. Trump warned that those policies could be reversed if Republicans lose control in Washington and Democrats gain enough power to block his agenda.
Trump also predicted that Democrats would attempt to impeach him again if they capture Congress in November. He used that possibility to reinforce his argument that his supporters cannot afford to sit out the midterms simply because he is not personally seeking reelection this year.
The Myrtle Beach rally was designed primarily to boost Graham ahead of her Aug. 25 runoff against Republican Rep. Ralph Norman. Graham was appointed to the Senate seat previously held by her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and is now seeking a full six-year term.
Graham finished first in the initial Republican primary but failed to secure the majority necessary to avoid a runoff. She received 32.7% of the vote, while Norman finished second with 24.6%. Rep. Russell Fry placed third with 19.7%, making his former supporters an important bloc heading into Tuesday’s vote.
Trump’s personal appearance comes after Graham faced criticism over her performance in the race’s only runoff debate. Asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea were national security concerns for the United States, Graham acknowledged that she was “not that informed on national security” and said the subject was not her area of expertise.
Rather than distancing himself from Graham after the stumble, Trump defended her as honest and intelligent. He has argued that she is focused primarily on domestic issues and would have experienced advisers available to assist her on national security and foreign policy matters.
The rally also featured several prominent Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott, Sen. John Barrasso, Fry and outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Graham thanked Trump for the eulogy he delivered following her brother’s death and told the president he would “forever be part of the Graham family.”
Trump even offered Myrtle Beach voters another incentive if Graham prevails, promising to return and play the city’s best golfer in a match. But his central message was considerably more serious: Republicans who support his agenda need to turn out even when his own name is absent from the ballot, beginning with Tuesday’s runoff and continuing through November’s midterm elections.