Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 19
Graham Foreign Policy Flub Pressures Trump Endorsement 6 Days Before Election
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 19

Graham Foreign Policy Flub Pressures Trump Endorsement 6 Days Before Election

3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Aug 19

Summary

  • Less than a week before Tuesday’s election, Darline Graham’s debate stumble on foreign policy handed critics a fresh line of attack and rattled some allies who say she looked unprepared.
  • Trump now faces added pressure because he pushed Graham’s July appointment, urged her to seek a full six-year Senate term and plans a Friday rally in Myrtle Beach to lift her campaign.
  • White House allies said Trump remains fully behind Graham, viewing her as preferable to rival Norman, who backed Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.
  • Norman used the debate to call Taiwan a “definite ally” that should be able to defend itself against China, sharpening the contrast with Graham’s misstep on an issue central to her late brother Lindsey Graham’s hawkish brand.