Trump cheekily tells crowd in South Carolina to 'pretend I'M on the ballot' in scramble to save legacy GOP candidate

By SAMANTHA LOREN, US POLITICAL REPORTER and STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 00:51, 22 August 2026 | Updated: 00:59, 22 August 2026 Donald Trump asked his MAGA army in South Carolina to 'pretend I'm on the ballot' and vote for Darline Graham to a full term in the US Senate.  Trump headed to Myrtle Beach for a high-stakes rally with Graham, making a last-minute push to save his chosen candidate from a potential upset by Congressman Ralph Norman in Tuesday's South Carolina Republican Senate runoff. 'You have to get out and vote,' he said as he campaigned for Graham. 'And we need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham.'  Trump noted that Republican candidates have lagged at the ballot box when Trump himself isn't running for office. 'What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot, just come and vote, it's so important. Just say that I'm on the ballot one more time and you gotta' come out and vote.'  Trump spoke about his second term accomplishments, mocked 'Dumocrats' opposing him and chuckled as a heckler was removed from the crowd.   Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was appointed to temporarily fill her brother's seat after his death and is now seeking a full six-year term.  Trump has backed her, persuading her to run before her formal announcement - turning the runoff into an unusually direct test of his influence over South Carolina Republicans. After Lindsey Graham's passing, Trump threw his full support behind Darline, urging her to step forward and carry on her brother's legacy in the Senate Representative Norman seized on the opportunity to call out Graham on her lack of security knowledge on X writing the state 'deserves a candidate who understands foreign policy' Darline Graham admitted she is not well versed on the topic of national security when asked by moderator Greta Van Susteren about whether Taiwan and the South China Sea represented national-security issues  Graham led Norman in the initial August 11 primary vote, but failed to clear the 50 percent threshold necessary to avoid a runoff.  She pumped her fist and danced a little bit as she walked on stage to music, then outlined her record serving South Carolinians as the head of a state agency. She responded to those who argue she doesn't have enough experience to serve in the U.S. Senate. 'Now, the critics say I shouldn't run for the Senate. They say I'm not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged,' Graham said. She drew parallels with Trump, who has endorsed her, saying he was never elected to any office before he became president 'I think he's done a damn good job,' she said. Graham urged people to vote for her in Tuesday's runoff election against Rep. Ralph Norman 'and take 10 friends with you.' The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November, with Republicans heavily favored in the traditionally red state. But Graham's campaign suffered a damaging blow earlier this week. During Tuesday's televised debate, she was asked about US security involving Taiwan and the South China Sea and acknowledged that she was 'not that informed' on national-security issues. The answer immediately became the defining moment of the debate, handing Norman an opening to argue that voters need a more experienced senator. 'South Carolina deserves a Senator who understands Foreign Policy. I'm a peace through strength supporter! No more forever wars!' he wrote on X. Graham has defended the response as a willingness to learn, arguing that South Carolina voters are more concerned with issues closer to home, including the economy and health care.  But the episode has intensified scrutiny of her qualifications at precisely the moment her campaign needs to reassure Republican voters. Graham also stumbled on the affordability crisis, telling the debate audience that 50 million people in South Carolina were living paycheck to paycheck. The state has around 5.5 million residents. Graham has been racing to introduce herself to voters across South Carolina while repeatedly insisting she is 'not a politician.' The Trump loyalist has made his agenda central to her pitch, frequently highlighting her support for his policies and his endorsement of her campaign.  She has also pointed to her years running a state agency as proof she is ready for the job. Among the priorities she has put front and center are Trump's push for tougher border security and the SAVE Act, the Republican-backed voting bill that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has also backed Graham, while Representative Russell Fry, who finished third in the August 11 Republican primary, endorsed her ahead of the August 25 runoff. Trump's endorsement hasn't been a guaranteed ticket to victory this election cycle, with a string of his hand-picked candidates falling at the Republican primary hurdle. Among the biggest names to stumble were Mike Lindell, Andy Ogles and Cory Mills, underscoring the limits of Trump's influence. Trump's previous endorsement of Pamela Evette in the South Carolina governor's race also raised questions about his political judgment.  Though he initially backed Evette, once polls indicated Wilson with an advantage, Trump scurried to offer a late dual endorsement, which critics saw as a move to save face.