Blindsided Republican asks for prayers after Trump snub: 'Big decision to make'
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the day of a Senate Steering Committee Lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A MAGA lawmaker is asking for "prayers" after being snubbed by President Donald Trump.

Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) took to X on Saturday just hours after Trump announced he would endorse late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister Darline Graham Nordone to replace him — and not Fry.

"My family and I have a big decision to make soon," Fry wrote. "We'd appreciate your prayers."

Trump's endorsement of Nordone caught the GOP flat-footed, as she had only been intended to be a caretaker appointment while voters decided a replacement, according to previous reporting.

Filing to enter the race opens in three days, according to the Associated Press, which leaves Fry and other would-be contenders little time to decide whether to challenge a Trump-backed candidate in the primary.

Nordone's entrance into the race complicates the path ahead for multiple U.S. representatives who have expressed interest in running, including Rep. Fry and Rep. William Timmons (R-SC).

"Russell Fry says he hasn't made a decision as to whether he will run in the primary for Senate in S.C.," noted Jake Sherman, the founder of Punchbowl News, in a response to Fry's big decision post. "In Congress, Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace have signaled they may run."

The Democratic nominee in the race is Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.

On Saturday, Fry suggested he will weigh his options carefully.

"South Carolina deserves strong conservative leadership," he wrote. "We need a fighter and one who delivers results for South Carolina and the US."