U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC) attends the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee vote on U.S. President Donald Trump's nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. attorney general, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 4, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump is scrambling to save his endorsed candidate in South Carolina's Aug. 25 Senate runoff.
Sen. Darline Graham now faces Rep. Ralph Norman, and the race is allegedly splitting the MAGA world, The Washington Post reports.
After multiple embarrassing primary losses this cycle, Trump is turning to surprising allies, including former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
Sanford became a vocal critic of the president in 2018 and challenged him in 2020.
In a previously unreported call, Trump asked Sanford for an endorsement, but Sanford declined to commit.
Trump also reached out to Rep. Russell Fry, who came in third place in the special Senate Primary to fill Graham's role.
The race has split the MAGA world, with Norman backed by South Carolina's former Gov. Nikki Haley and Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT). Turning Point Action and CPAC also support his candidacy.
Darline Graham has support from Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Tom Cotton (R-AR).
Trump is considering either a pre-runoff rally for Graham or a dual endorsement of both candidates, a strategy that previously backfired in South Carolina's gubernatorial primary.
Trump appointed Darline to finish her late brother Lindsey Graham's term in July.
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