COLUMBIA, S.C. — Starting exactly a week before polls close in South Carolina, Republican U.S. Senate candidates began their debate Tuesday by both being cut off in their opening statements and ended in an attack.

The debate highlighted both candidates similar conservative positions on issues like the national debt and data centers, but one candidate’s lack of experience in political office was also brought to the center when U.S. Sen. Darline Graham was asked about whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security threats.

“I’m not that informed on national security ... but I do support the military,” Graham responded, then highlighted her support for the U.S. military and did not answer the question.

She later told reporters South Carolinians are “worried about their pockets more than they’re worried about the South China Sea.”

Her opponent, U.S. Ralph Norman, said the U.S. had to exhibit “peace through strength” to prevent invasions of Taiwan and maintain a positive trade relationship. After the debate, he said he had sympathy for Graham, but senators should not train on the job.

“By her choice, she’s running for the United States Senate,” Norman told reporters. “It’s a six-year term. You need to get fully versed in what issues you’re going to be dealing with.”

Later in the debate, both candidates said Israel is an important ally to the U.S. Norman said Israel is “ready and willing and able to take out Iran if it means putting troops on the ground.”

Graham followed and said she was “concerned about troops on the ground,” while answering a question about maintaining Israel and the U.S.’s relationship.

“I am a little concerned about troops on the ground,” Graham said. “I don’t know that that’s necessary just yet. I would like to make sure that we try all economic solutions before we put troops on the ground.”

Graham and Norman will compete in a runoff Aug. 25 for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. The special primary was triggered by the sudden death of longtime lawmaker Lindsey Graham, who easily won the nomination in June.

The debate was held at the Newberry Opera House in front of a live audience and televised across the state by SC ETV. It was also broadcast and hosted by Newsmax.

Here are other takeaways from Tuesday night’s debate

Live audience makes itself heard

Hundreds of potential voters, including candidates’ staff and a few lawmakers, packed the historic Newberry Opera House to hear from Graham and Norman in the first special Republican primary U.S. Senate debate with a live audience.

Moderator Greta Van Susteren, a Newsmax anchor, asked the crowd hold applause until the end of the debate. The audience did not oblige.

Previous televised debates, held before the primary, were broadcast from TV studios. But candidates had to answer questions Tuesday night in front of a crowd that often cheered, called out, laughed and in one case, booed.

The crowd cheered for both candidates throughout the debate, beginning when Norman said former U.S. Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci should be in an “orange jumpsuit.”

Attacks lobbed

Both candidates lobbed attacks at one another after Graham started them. She criticized some of Norman’s business decisions, his pushback on Trump and his donation in a non-partisan race more than 10 years ago to a Democratic lawmaker.

Later on in the debate, Norman questioned her position on data center development and support from super PACs, including a renewable energy-backed political group.

Graham said Norman voted to raise the gas tax, which he did not respond to, and said Norman accepted “$600,000 in COVID bailout money.” In his response, Norman just said COVID-19 was “man-made” and “disastrous.”

She also criticized Norman’s decision to initially withhold support for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a large tax and spending bill passed in July 2025. Norman, who eventually voted for the bill, said he made the policy better by opposing renewable energy subsidies.

Graham accused Norman of bringing Silfab Solar to York County and for employing immigrants who were in the country illegally, both claims he denied on stage.

Norman accused Graham of changing her positions on data center development. In a preprimary debate, Graham said she supported data centers and later followed up to encourage community involvement in their development.

The congressman also questioned the millions being spent by political groups against him on behalf of Graham, which she said she didn’t know about.

“The money they’re putting in this race ought to be alarming for every American,” Norman said.

Graham then brought up a donation made by Norman to a Democratic candidate during the debate. Norman donated $1,000 to state Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, a Democrat, campaign for Charleston mayor in 2015, a non-partisan office, according to state disclosures.

Norman said Stavrinakis, who lost the election, was running against a candidate he opposed more.

In her closing statement, Graham ended the debate by saying Norman hadn’t accomplished anything in Congress.

“You said you wanted to go to Washington to clean up the swamp,” Graham said. “Then you wanted to come back to South Carolina to run for governor. Now you want to go back to Washington again to clean up the swamp.”

Candidates largely agree on key issues

Throughout the hourlong debate, candidates had some different policy ideas, but they fundamentally agreed on many issues.

The national debt needs to be tackled, and it could be done so through cutting waste, fraud and abuse. Israel is an important international ally to the U.S. and artificial intelligence should be regulated. Fauci should be in jail, both said.

Data centers should be regulated, and local communities should be involved in where they are located, according to both candidates, but Norman added incentives for the controversial infrastructure should be stripped.

Both Graham and Norman said Iran couldn’t have nuclear capabilities, and they supported President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war, which is still ongoing.

While Graham said she completely trusted the president, Norman said Trump should address the public on what was going on with the ongoing conflict.

“The one thing that concerns me is we cannot let them get a nuclear weapon,” Graham said. “So I trust President Trump in everything he’s doing. I think he’s got this, and I trust him.”

Both candidates said they opposed illegal immigration and birthright citizenship.

“Here’s what I believe in: legal immigration, not illegal immigration,” Norman said to cheers. “We have to have a pathway, but you have to get the illegals out of the country now.”

“I differ from my brother,” Graham said. “It’s real clear to me: if you’re here illegally, you need to be deported.”

Neither candidate was allowed to finish their opening statement after both exceeded the time limit.

Norman knocks Trump visit post debate

Graham and Norman frequently said they support Trump on issues like immigration and the war in Iran, but the president has only endorsed one candidate.

Trump will campaign with Graham in Myrtle Beach on Friday evening and endorsed her candidacy before she announced a bid.

Norman questioned why Trump wouldn’t go somewhere his stop could “make a difference” after the debate.

“Look at what we’re facing across the country,” Norman said. “Why not go to the Michigans of the world, the Minnesotas of the world?”

Graham said the president was coming to South Carolina to rally for her campaign because he “wants to help,” not necessarily because it’s a tight race between her and Norman.

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