President Donald Trump has urged South Carolina Republicans to support Sen. Darline Graham in the August 25 Republican Senate runoff election, framing the contest as a critical test of his political agenda and warning voters that they could “lose everything” if his preferred candidate is defeated.
He warned that a Graham defeat could threaten policies, “You got to come out and vote,” Trump said, “because if we lose, you're going to lose your border, you're going to lose your tax cuts, you're going to lose everything that we've done.” He added that Democrats could regain control of Congress.
Speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, Trump asked supporters to “pretend I'm on the ballot” and treat the election as a referendum on his leadership.
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“If we lose the midterms, I am going to be impeached,” Trump said, arguing that Democrats would seek to remove him from office.
He also referred to constitutional limits on presidential terms, saying he would be willing to see the rules changed if another run were permitted.
Graham, appointed in July to fill the Senate seat of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, is seeking a full six-year term. She faces Rep. Ralph Norman in the Republican runoff after leading a 10-candidate field in the August 11 primary. Graham secured about 32.7% of the vote, compared with Norman's 24.6% and Rep. Russell Fry's 19.7%.
Trump also defended Graham following criticism of her debate performance, in which she acknowledged that national security was not her area of expertise while answering a question about Taiwan. Trump described the response as honest and said Graham could rely on experienced advisers and military officials on foreign-policy matters while focusing on domestic issues such as food prices.
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Trump further encouraged voters by promising to return to Myrtle Beach for a round of golf with the city's top golfer if Graham wins.
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