On Tuesday, a Republican lawmaker didn’t hold back when telling CNN his thoughts on President Donald Trump and the midterm candidates he’s endorsed. According to Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) – who lost to Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Senate primary – Graham doesn’t live up to her conservative label, and Trump is spreading “false narratives” that she’s qualified to lead.
“The voters in South Carolina are not buying the argument that everyone has to ‘settle’ for a candidate that has been propped up by special interest groups and a Republican president spending millions of dollars spreading false narratives about why Darline Graham is qualified to be elected to the U.S. Senate for the next six years!” Norman wrote CNN in a text message. “This election is about attempts to ‘force’ a candidate on the voters of S.C. And regardless of the outcome, it didn’t have to be this way as the great people living in South Carolina deserve ‘better!’ Bottom line! Elections have consequences!”
Norman lost the primary to Graham, who had the endorsement of Trump. While Norman is part of the MAGA-oriented Freedom Caucus and has historically supported Trump’s policies, he drew the president’s ire after publicly declaring his support for Nikki Haley in the 2024 election. According to CNN, Norman’s statement came as the GOP is gripped with growing concern over a fractured party ahead of next week’s midterms, which has Trump returning to South Carolina this week to stump for Graham for a second straight week. Norman’s son, a real estate developer, declared in an op-ed last week that he would not vote for Graham, arguing “there’s no true conservative to vote for in this election.”
“We need senators with the backbone to stand up to pressure from both parties, including their own, and the commitment to root out corruption wherever they find it,” wrote Warren Norman in an unsubtle dig at Graham’s ties to Trump, who has drawn bipartisan outrage for various corruption scandals. He added, “Millions are being spent to tell voters what to fear. Far less has been said about what Senator Graham will actually do for South Carolina, or whether she’ll stand up to the people funding her campaign when it counts.” According to Norman, he has spent time with Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, and while they “disagree on a lot,” they “also agree on some important things, including fighting corruption.” Because of this, writes Warren Norman, “As of today, I’m leaning her way. It will be the first time in my life I’ve voted for a Democrat in a partisan election.”
Ralph Warren texted CNN, “Warren is EXACTLY RIGHT in his statement! My entire family is NOT SUPPORTING her candidacy.”