US President Donald Trump embraces Republican US Senate candidate Darline Graham during a rally ahead of the midterm elections, at T. Ed Garrison Arena at Clemson University in Pendleton, South Carolina, US, October 21, 2026. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Observers were astounded Tuesday night after President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate lost South Carolina’s Senate race.
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC), who was appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, lost to Democrat Annie Andrews, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ projected shortly before 10 p.m. ET. Trump had endorsed Graham and attacked Andrews during the campaign, writing that South Carolina “must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her.”
Graham’s defeat sparked a firestorm of reactions online.
David French, a conservative columnist, described Graham’s loss as “unreal” in a post on X.
“South Freaking Carolina. Unreal. In 2025 MAGA was unleashed, and it’s breaking the GOP,” French wrote.
Julius Hernandez, a veteran Democratic campaign staffer, said the result was a sign of what’s to come.
“Democrats are going to run the f------ table,” he posted on X.
Scott Kernen, a contributing writer at Awards Daily, called the result “just completely mind-blowing” in a post on X.
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