U.S. President Donald Trump‘s visit to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center saw him make a passionate plea to the GOP to support Sen. Darline Graham and turn out for the midterms.
Graham, who came into the seat after the death of her brother, Lindsey, is facing Rep. Ralph Norman for the Republican nomination in South Carolina ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Her lack of experience has been a topic of conversation since her appointment, despite Trump’s support for her.
Trump’s visit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, appeared to reveal growing concern about voter turnout in the November midterm elections, which could serve as a major test of his political capital.
The president was in the state as part of his continued support for his late friend’s sister, who is locked in a Senate runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman.
Speaking to attendees at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Trump called on voters to pretend that he’s on the ballot and show up.
“The problem that we have is they say that Trump does great when he’s on the ballot. But when he’s not on the ballot, his people don’t come, and they don’t vote for senators, congressmen and other Republicans,” the real estate mogul said.
“So, what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” he added.
Donald Trump Addressed Darline Graham’s Gaffe
Last week, Graham sparked controversy during a debate after she said that national security was “not my thing” when asked a question involving Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the U.S.
While heading to South Carolina for the rally, Trump responded to reporters who asked him about Graham’s remarks.
“All she was, was being honest,” he said at the time. “I watched that. I thought it was a very honest answer, actually.”
His appearance at the rally also saw him seemingly revisit the incident as he praised Graham’s strengths in comparison to those of her late brother.
“Her brother was very much about the world. … He focused very much on that. That’s good. That’s fine. But she’s more about affordability. She’s about what we have. How much a loaf of bread is going to cost,” Trump told his audience.
Trump’s Support For Graham Began With A Push For A Full Term
Trump’s public support for Graham began when he encouraged her to run for a full term in the U.S. Senate following the death of her brother.
At the time, he wrote in a post that she “has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Graham was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, which ends in January. For the Republican nomination for the next term, she faced off against Norman in a special Senate primary, where she finished first.
Since neither candidate secured a majority of the vote, the race will now be decided by a runoff between Graham and Norman.
Trump Declares His Endorsements ‘Stronger Than Ever’ Despite Recent Losses
While it remains to be seen whether Trump-backed Graham will emerge victorious over her opponent, several others whom Trump has backed have fallen short.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa both lost the nominating contests in their gubernatorial races months ago. More recently, Public Instruction Superintendent Megan Degenfelder and Minnesota businessman Mike Lindell, the “MyPillow” founder and former CEO, suffered the same fate.
Trump, however, appears undeterred by the setbacks, taking to Truth Social on August 24 to boast about his endorsement record.
“My Endorsements are stronger than ever — Not to mention the fact that good people are getting elected that never had the chance,” the president wrote.
Will Trump’s Endorsement Save Graham? Expert Weighs In
Ahead of the runoff between Graham and Norman, an expert claimed that Trump’s endorsement could swing the race in favor of his late friend’s sister. However, he noted that Graham would still have to pull her weight.
“There’s no question that an endorsement from President Trump provides a tremendous boost in a Republican primary,” GOP strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital.
“But it doesn’t necessarily mean the candidate’s going to win,” he further remarked to the outlet.