U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., August 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
The GOP's grip on South Carolina was evident when, in 2024, Donald Trump carried the deep red state by 18 percent. But according to Politico, Trump could suffer one of his "most embarrassing losses" in a state that he handily won three presidential elections in a row.
In South Carolina, President Trump is going all-in for GOP Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, who Gov. Henry McMaster appointed to her U.S. Senate seat following the unexpected death of her brother, Lindsey Graham. Now, Nordone is competing with fellow South Carolina Republicans in the state's 2026 GOP U.S. Senate primary, which will be decided in a runoff on Tuesday, August 25. And if she loses, Politico's Alec Hernandez emphasizes, it will also be a humiliating loss for Trump.
"If Graham falls short on Tuesday," Hernandez explains, "it will be one of Trump's most embarrassing in a recent string of losses this primary season. He pushed for her appointment to the Senate to complete her late brother's term and openly encouraged her to run for a full six years, with his backing."
Republicans, during Trump's second presidency, have often been in lockstep with the president. But a victory for Nordone is far from a given in the Tuesday primary.
"Trump is bringing back his hallmark campaign rally for Graham on Friday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, just days ahead of her runoff against Republican Rep. Ralph Norman," Hernandez reports. "It's a far cry from the quieter strategy the president has used for candidates in battleground races in Georgia, Michigan and Texas: a couple supportive social media posts and, in some cases, a tele-rally on the eve of Election Day."
South Carolina-based GOP strategist Randy Page argues that given how deep red his state is, Trump's campaigning skills would be better used elsewhere.
Page told Politico, "It's going to be a red seat. If I were the president, if I were giving him political advice, I'd say: 'We're right next to Georgia, we're right next to North Carolina. Texas ain't that far away.' There are some real places that are going to affect the party keeping control of either the House or the Senate, and it's like he's just flying over them and ignoring them."
Another Republican strategist, interviewed on condition of anonymity, told Politico, "He's coming in person for Darline Graham. He really hasn't done much else. He probably has the ability to move the needle in Republicans' favor better than anyone else in the country. The question is just: Will he? Is he willing to? Does he want to? Does he care enough?"
