President Donald Trump on Friday threw his full weight behind Sen. Darline Graham Nordone to run for a full term in the U.S. Senate — the same week she was appointed to finish her late brother’s seat.
“Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN. RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump said Friday on Truth Social.
Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Nordone to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham after he died unexpectedly over the weekend. By Friday, reports surfaced that she was considering a bid for the remainder of the term.
“Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”
Trump called Nordone into the Oval Office this week, where he personally asked her to run in the special Republican primary scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
“It was my Honor to welcome now Senator Darline Graham Nordone (The sister of the Late, Great Lindsey Graham!), from the Wonderful State of South Carolina, into the Oval Office,” Trump posted. “We have known each other for a long time — She is a spectacular person, and a true American Patriot.”
Trump praised the late senator as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known,” adding that Nordone “shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina.”
“During her visit, I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump said. “I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey.”
The endorsement carries major weight in South Carolina — a state Trump won decisively in both 2016 and 2020. His backing has proven decisive in Republican primaries across the nation, making Nordone the instant frontrunner if she enters the race.
The special election will determine who serves the remainder of Graham’s term. South Carolina Republicans will decide August 11 whether to rally behind the president’s choice — or split the field among other contenders.
