South Carolina Republican Congressman Ralph Norman has voiced strong criticism of President Donald Trump's intervention in the state's contentious Republican Senate primary, using the word "shocking" multiple times to describe the president's support for candidate Katie Arrington Graham.
Norman, speaking as the House returned to session, initially encouraged voters to write in his name on the ballot, a call to action he later appeared to retract in statements to Bloomberg. The extent of Trump's involvement in the primary, which Graham narrowly won by 20,000 votes, has become a point of contention within the party.
Norman questioned the president's decision to become so heavily involved in a South Carolina primary, particularly given Trump's past accomplishments. "He's done so much for this country, but this was… to get into a primary in South Carolina is shocking," Norman stated. He also found the timing of Trump's rally for Graham, held the Friday before the Tuesday runoff, to be "shocking."
While the total cost of Trump's rally in South Carolina has not been publicly confirmed, MAGA Inc. reported spending $827,711 on Graham's behalf in the period immediately preceding the runoff. This spending primarily targeted voter phone calls and text messages. Other outside groups also contributed significant support, with Security Is Strength PAC reporting over $1.1 million in independent expenditures and Palmetto Action reporting approximately $702,000 in support of Graham.
Norman also pointed to endorsements from figures like Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican who endorsed Graham and contributed $10,000 to her campaign, as a point of concern. He contrasted Trump's actions with those of former President Ronald Reagan, suggesting Reagan would not have engaged in such a primary contest.
Furthermore, Norman alleged that Trump personally pressured members of Congress to switch their support to Graham. "To get on the phone and call congressmen to switch your votes?" Norman questioned, adding that Graham, while related to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, lacked clear qualifications.
Norman referenced Graham's performance in a mid-August debate, where she struggled with a foreign policy question and overstated South Carolina's population by millions. Trump, however, defended Graham's foreign policy answer as honest and a sign of her intelligence, emphasizing her support for the military and stating she was surrounded by "very good people."
Despite the internal Republican discord, Democrats face a significant challenge in the general election. However, a progressive polling outfit, Impact Research, released a survey from August 14-22 suggesting Democratic candidate Annie Andrews held a narrow lead over Graham, with Andrews at 43 percent and Graham at 39 percent. Historically, South Carolina has not elected a Democratic U.S. Senator since 1998, when Fritz Hollings won reelection. The seat has been held by Republicans since Hollings' retirement in 2004.