Trump Endorses Sen. Darline Graham Nordone in Palmetto State Stunt

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Trump Endorses Sen. Darline Graham Nordone in Palmetto State Stunt
Photo: PBS NewsHour
politics· A press review of 11 outlets
  1. Trump was in the Palmetto State stumping for Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), who is headed to a runoff primary election next week to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The president was discussing how Democrats want to impeach him when the incident unfolded.

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    Fox News

    Trump was in Myrtle Beach to campaign for Darline Graham ahead of Tuesday's South Carolina Senate runoff, urging his supporters to turn out even though his own name won't be on the ballot.

    The Hill

    Watch live: Trump stumps for Darline Graham in South Carolina President Trump will hit the campaign trail in South Carolina Friday to rally support for Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) ahead of the state’s Republican runoff next week, where she’s set to face off against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). Trump’s appearance comes as Graham faces scrutiny for a rough debate performance earlier this week, after which…

    PBS NewsHour

    WATCH LIVE: Trump stumps for S.C. Sen. Darline Graham ahead of GOP runoff President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to South Carolina on Friday to make a last-minute appeal for Sen. Darline Graham, his chosen candidate to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, ahead of a Republican runoff next week.

    Washington Times

    President Trump traveled to deep-red South Carolina to make the case for Sen. Darline Graham, saying that electing her to the Senate is critical to stopping Democrats’ progressive agenda.

    New York Post

    President Trump urged South Carolina Republicans Friday to “pretend” he’s on the ballot in the state’s high-stakes Senate race, in an effort to harness his support among the MAGA faithful and propel Sen. Darline Graham to victory.

    New York Times

    With Midterms Approaching, Trump Implores Republicans: Pretend I’m on the Ballot! President Trump was in South Carolina to stump for Darline Graham, sister of Lindsey. But his own political future was on his mind, too.

    Politico

    ‘I’m on the ballot’: Trump lends a hand to struggling Darline Graham The president sought to paper over emerging cracks in Graham’s campaign to succeed her late brother.

    NBC News

    “I asked her to do this,” Trump told the crowd. “She only knows how to put America first. She will be somebody you’re going to be very proud. You vote for her, you’re going to be very proud of that vote ... We need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham, if you would.”

    HuffPost

    Darline Graham had never contemplated elected office before her older brother Lindsey died suddenly last month, but Donald Trump on Friday told a few thousand of his followers in South Carolina that they needed to give her a full term in the U.S. Senate anyway.

  2. Graham doubled down on the comment after she made it, and has been using the incident to try to make herself relatable while trying to try to cast rival Norman, who has spent two decades in elective office, as an insider and “career politician.”

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    Washington Examiner

    Norman is trying to use Graham Nordone’s lack of experience against her, but she is simultaneously attempting to use his record against him, claiming, for example, that he has only renamed post offices during his five terms in Congress.

    NBC News

    Graham sought to turn Norman’s tenure around on him Friday. “I’ve done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years,” she said at the rally, while promising to be more supportive of Trump’s agenda than Norman has been. “We already have enough problem Democrats. We don’t need a problem Republican.”

  3. “I mean, she’s going to do what the military wants, and really what the president wants,” Trump told reporters. “She understands that national security is my thing, and she is a terrific woman who answered.”

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    New York Post

    Trump added: “I mean, she’s going to do what the military wants and really what the president wants. She understands that national security is my thing, and she is a terrific woman.”

  4. “I am freaked about this issue given our crossing of the $40 trillion federal debt mark this week,” he wrote. “It has heinous implications for all of us. And so as much as I would like to honor tradition and old friendships, the stakes are simply too high as our nation really is at a financial tipping point. It’s for these reasons and more that I will be voting for Ralph on Tuesday and respectfully ask that you do the same.”

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    New York Post

    “So as much as I would like to honor tradition and old friendships, the stakes are simply too high as our nation really is at a financial tipping point,” Sanford posted Friday on X, writing that he was “freaked” about the nation’s growing $40 trillion debt.

  5. “That person’s going home to mom,” Trump said as the crowd cheered. “Gonna get scolded because mom is voting for us.”

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    New York Post

    “That’s all right. That person’s going home to mom. Gonna get scolded because mom is voting for us. You know, mom is voting for us,” Trump said before quickly continuing his speech.

    Fox News

    "That's all right. That person's going home to mom. Gonna get scolded because mom is voting for us. You know, mom is voting for us," Trump said before quickly continuing his speech.

    Washington Times

    “That’s all right. That person is going home to mom [and] going to be scolded because mom is voting for us,” Mr. Trump said of the protester.

  6. A protester stood up and interrupted Trump at about 7:28 p.m., before being escorted from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center by police and convention center staff, according to a White House pool report.

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    Fox News

    A protester stood up and interrupted Trump at approximately 7:28 p.m., before being escorted from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center by police and convention center staff, according to the White House pool report.

  7. “With your support, Darline will defend common sense in our nation’s capital,” Trump said.

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    Fox News

    "With your support, Darline will defend common sense in our nation's capital," Trump said. "She'll fight for lower taxes, bigger paychecks, no amnesty for illegal aliens. And she'll always protect your Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms."

  8. Graham later joined Trump onstage, thanking him for his endorsement and his friendship with her late senator brother, Lindsey.

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    Fox News

    Graham later joined Trump onstage, thanking him for his endorsement and his friendship with her late senator brother, Lindsey.

    Washington Times

    Lindsey Graham was a close ally and friend of the president, with Mr. Trump eulogizing him at his funeral in July.

  9. “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me,” Graham said. “Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?”

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    Fox News

    "Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me," Graham said. "Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?"

    HuffPost

    “Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me. Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?” she said. “We love President Trump in South Carolina, don’t we? Yes, we do. This is Trump country. Yeah! USA! USA! USA!”

  10. The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November and, given South Carolina’s history in recent decades, is very likely to win the general election.

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    Washington Examiner

    South Carolina voters head to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether Graham Nordone or Norman will take on Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

    NBC News

    She faces five-term Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in Tuesday’s runoff. The winner will be a heavy favorite this fall against Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in this red state.

  11. A pair of protesters were ejected from President Trump’s rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, including one wearing a T-shirt proclaiming “Kill Your Local Pedophile.”

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    Washington Examiner

    Security personnel escorted out a protester donning a “kill your local pedophile” shirt during President Donald Trump‘s speech at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

  12. Friday night’s rally site, Myrtle Beach, is the hometown of Congressman Russell Fry, who finished third on Aug. 11 with 20% of the vote. Trump quickly talked Fry — who will still be running for reelection for his House seat in November — into endorsing Graham.

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    NBC News

    Also speaking at the rally Friday was Rep. Russell Fry, whose district includes Myrtle Beach and who finished third in the initial primary, with nearly 20% of the vote. He has since endorsed Graham, and his voters could prove important.

From the margins

7 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 New York Post

    The comment had shades of a Joe Biden-style collapse when she uttered it Wednesday night in response to a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea during the only debate in the Senate Republican runoff race.

  2. 02 Fox News

    Trump also said Graham would be a strong advocate for the armed forces. "But as much as anybody in this Senate and maybe more, Darline will support our military," Trump said.

  3. 03 Washington Examiner

    Three days later, on Friday, Trump campaigned with her in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

  4. 04 NBC News

    President Donald Trump wants his supporters to think beyond his endorsed candidates and imagine that he is on the ballot when they vote in this year’s midterm elections.

  5. 05 HuffPost

    “Darline is somebody I’ve known for a long time, I asked her to do this. I said, ’Darline, you got to do it because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her. I’ve known her through Lindsey,” he told his Myrtle Beach Convention Center audience. “I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me.”

  6. 06 Washington Times

    The protesters were also wearing hats embroidered with upside-down flags, which is used as a distress symbol in times of extreme danger. It has been co-opted by the anti-Trump resistance in defiance of the president.

  7. 07 RealClearPolitics

    Swing-State Dems Are Taking Aim at Their Own Party

Assembled from 12 corroborated claims drawn from 11 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

Fact Corroboration

Which sources independently confirm the same facts. Hover a claim to see its sources, or a source to see what it corroborates.

Coverage by Perspective

Left
1
Lean-Left
5
Center
1
Lean-Right
18
Right
1

Source Similarity

Connections show how similarly each outlet covered this story. Thicker lines = more similar framing.

Sources (11)

  • huffpost
  • pbs
  • nyt
  • nypost
  • foxnews
  • thehill
  • nbc
  • rcp
  • politico
  • washexaminer
  • washtimes

Original Articles (26)

Lean Right Sen. Darline Graham’s ‘not my thing’ debate gaffe no accident: insiders — New York Post
Lean Right Trump fires back after protester interrupts Myrtle Beach rally for Darline Graham: ‘Mom is voting for us’ — New York Post
Lean Right Trump warns SC voters they’ll ‘lose everything’ if Darline Graham doesn’t win Senate race: ‘Pretend I’m on the ballot’ — New York Post
Lean Right Trump backs ‘honest’ Sen. Darline Graham after national security debate flop — New York Post
Right Trump fires back after protester interrupts Myrtle Beach rally for Graham: 'Mom is voting for us' — Fox News
Lean Left With Midterms Approaching, Trump Implores Republicans: Pretend I’m on the Ballot! — New York Times
Lean Right Graham Nordone leans on Trump to rescue Senate bid after debate gaffe — Washington Examiner
Lean Right Trump pleads with GOP voters to show up for midterm elections: ‘Pretend I’m on the ballot’ — Washington Examiner
Lean Right Darline Graham Nordone follows Trump strategy with ads on SAVE America Act and transgender athletes — Washington Examiner
Lean Right Trump rally security ejects protester wearing ‘kill your local pedophile’ shirt — Washington Examiner
Lean Right WATCH LIVE: Trump rallies with Darline Graham Nordone in South Carolina — Washington Examiner
Lean Right Mark Sanford backs Ralph Norman in South Carolina Senate runoff — Washington Examiner
Lean Right President makes final push for Darline Graham in trip to ‘Trump country’ — The Hill
Lean Right Trump defends Darline Graham’s Taiwan response: ‘She was being honest’ — The Hill
Lean Right Watch live: Trump stumps for Darline Graham in South Carolina — The Hill
Lean Right Sanford backs Norman over Graham in South Carolina Senate runoff: ‘Stakes are simply too high’ — The Hill
Lean Left Trump tries new midterm message to supporters: ‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’ — NBC News
Lean Left Trump’s super fans are torn on Darline Graham ahead of key GOP Senate contest — NBC News
Left Trump Tells South Carolinians To Vote For Lindsey Graham’s Sister As A Favor To Him — HuffPost
Lean Left ‘I’m on the ballot’: Trump lends a hand to struggling Darline Graham — Politico
Lean Left Trump’s biggest political event so far isn’t in a battleground state — Politico
Lean Right Protester ejected from Trump rally was wearing 'Kill Your Local Pedophile' shirt — Washington Times
Lean Right Trump stumps for Darline Graham ahead of South Carolina runoff — Washington Times
Lean Right Democratic candidates discreetly urge allies not to trash Trump or alienate swing voters — Washington Times
Center WATCH LIVE: Trump stumps for S.C. Sen. Darline Graham ahead of GOP runoff — PBS NewsHour
Lean Right Swing-State Dems Are Taking Aim at Their Own Party — RealClearPolitics