The name Trump didn't utter while stumping for Darline Graham

John T. Bennett, CQ-Roll Call on Aug 24, 2026

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Ralph Norman.

Those were two words President Donald Trump notably did not speak Friday night despite being on stage in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for about 80 minutes.

The rally was meant to boost Sen. Darline Graham in a South Carolina GOP primary runoff, slated for Tuesday. By not mentioning her opponent, a five-term House member, the head of the Republican Party did not land any verbal blows that would politically weaken Norman, should he advance to a general election against Democrat Annie Andrews.

In fact, the event, at times, felt more like a thank you to Rep. Russell Fry, who finished third in the special Republican primary to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham — Darline Graham’s brother — on the November ballot. Fry, after arm-twisting by Trump, publicly endorsed Graham over Norman.

“Where is Russell? Are you here, Russell? Stand up, Russell. He’s been my friend from day one. People ask me, ‘Who’s the best one to run for a certain seat?’ Because we’ve won this place in such crowds and such numbers. But they say, ‘Who’d be the best to replace a certain gentleman who wasn’t very good?’ And everybody said, ‘There’s a young man named Russell Fry.’ Right, Russell? And I put you up. And it was like magic.

“But Russell has been so fantastic, and we’re gonna get your tremendous roadway project done. It’s all funded. It’s all ready to go. OK? And thank you for all that support in every way. And with your support and Darline fighting to go with South Carolina in the Senate, we’re gonna make sure that she gets there,” Trump said during the rally, referring to what could one of several member-requested projects on Fry’s House website addressing stormwater infrastructure in his flood-prone district.

Trump’s oceanside appearance came amid, for Darline Graham, a runoff contest that has included her admitting during a debate with Norman that she does not know very much about foreign policy — a contrast to her brother, who had relationships around the world.

The head of the Republican Party was in one of the South’s most popular beach towns after suffering a series of setbacks in Republican primaries on Aug. 18. Three candidates he had endorsed in Florida and Wyoming were defeated.

Several hours before the Myrtle Beach rally, Norman’s campaign blasted out a statement listing new endorsements that included Texas GOP Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and more than 20 state lawmakers, mayors and local political organizations.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the support of these outstanding leaders and organizations,” Norman stated. “This is what grassroots looks like. South Carolina is speaking LOUD and CLEAR, and we’re going to bring change to the U.S. Senate!”

‘Hold up Trump’s agenda’

Some Graham backers have pointed to Norman’s negotiating parts of Republicans’ 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” rather than going along with the White House’s every whim.

“I witnessed firsthand Ralph repeatedly hold up President Trump’s agenda—not on principle, but to extract something for Ralph. He did it on the Speaker vote, forcing President Trump to personally intervene, and he did it again on the One Big Beautiful Bill,” Rep. William R. Timmons IV, R-S.C., wrote on X. “Ralph’s pattern is simple: hold up Trump’s agenda, get something for Ralph, then pretend he helped save the day. His decision making is exclusively Ralph Ralph Ralph.”

The defeats came in races involving candidates with varying degrees of connection to Trump, but they shared a common thread: The president’s endorsement was not enough to overcome a number of political and economic winds blowing in the opposite direction.

Trump’s losses remain the exception rather than the rule in Republican primaries. But they have begun to accumulate as the 2026 primary season winds down.

The results do not suggest that Trump’s endorsement has lost its potency across the Republican Party. His backing remains a powerful asset for many candidates.

But the latest losses underscore a more complicated reality as Republicans head toward the general election: Even a president who dominates his party can encounter limits when endorsements collide with candidate baggage, local alliances and the preferences of Republican primary voters.

Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales ranks the South Carolina Senate race as “Likely Republican.”

Mark Davis, a South Carolina talk radio host, noted on X that Trump praised Graham several times, but then veered into his usual spiel about second-term achievements and grievances about the past.

“He has to know that many attendees just came to see him and will be voting for Ralph Norman on Tuesday,” Davis wrote on X, summarizing Trump’s Myrtle message this way: “Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot.”

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