Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) is racing to define herself ahead of next week’s primary runoff, but a viral gaffe during a Tuesday debate likely doesn’t do her any favors.
The viral moment, which occurred Tuesday while debating runoff rival Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) after a moderator’s question about U.S. support for Taiwan, breathes new fire into criticism that the Trump-backed candidate is riding the coattails of the president and her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Graham Nordone was asked if tensions between China and Taiwan were a national security concern, to which she said national security was “not my thing.” She went on to tout President Donald Trump’s defense agenda.
“I’m just gonna be honest here. I’m not on national security that — I’m not that informed on national security, so,” Graham Nordone said, followed by a pause. “But I do support the military.”
Even before the awkward answer that prompted boos from the crowd, Norman and his allies have painted the contest as a choice between a fifth-term “proven conservative” in the Freedom Caucus and a largely undefined Republican with a famous last name.
“What if Darline Graham had any other last name?” said an ad, released just hours before the debate, from the pro-Norman Palmetto First PAC. “Do we really know where she stands? Darline won’t tell us. Ralph Norman has a proven conservative record.”
Graham Nordone’s answer also prompted a response from a notable South Carolina foreign policy hawk.
Former Trump official and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who endorsed Norman, said being informed on national security is “not something you inherit” and is “critical in the U.S. Senate.”
Norman used the moment to detail his own concerns about China’s aggression toward Taiwan, a major computer chip manufacturer, and praise Trump’s “peace through strength” approach. He did not directly criticize Graham Nordone, but his campaign did post a clip of her answer and said the state “deserves a Senator who UNDERSTANDS Foreign Policy.”
He told MS NOW on Wednesday that he “couldn’t believe” Graham Nordone’s answer, but would not say if the response was disqualifying, instead saying “the voters will disqualify her if that’s what they see.”
Candidates often have upward of six months or more to define themselves to voters. But Thursday marks just one month in the race for Graham Nordone, and the Aug. 25 runoff will come after just five weeks. She was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) on July 13 to serve out the remainder of Graham’s term that ends in early January 2027.
“I don’t think that anyone could do that in 20 days,” said Maggie Knox, a South Carolina GOP official who is neutral but predicted Graham Nordone holds an edge. “We definitely saw that Darline needs to work on foreign policy … but [Norman] was not able to maybe distance himself from some concerns that people have had about decisions in Washington and the powers that be.”
In terms of defining herself, foreign policy appears to remain a weak spot for Graham Nordone, who has expressed a desire to follow less in her brother’s footsteps as a national security hawk and focus more on domestic policies. She touted her support for the GOP’s SAVE America Act voter ID bill, anti-abortion measures, confirming Attorney General Todd Blanche, and a bipartisan Russia sanctions package signed into law by Trump that was championed by Graham before his death.
As part of her bungled Taiwan response, Graham Nordone noted she was “not a polished politician” in an attempt to contrast with Norman, who was first elected to political office in 2004. At another point, when asked about the Iran war and failed ceasefire agreements, she echoed Trump, in part saying: “I trust President Trump and everything he’s doing. I think he’s got this, and I trust him on it.”
GRAHAM SAYS NATIONAL SECURITY ‘NOT MY THING’ BUT VOWS TO BACK TRUMP’S DEFENSE AGENDA
By contrast, Norman condemned “endless wars” and said Trump should “tell the American people what’s it going to take” to win against Tehran.
Early voting for the runoff began Wednesday. The Republican victor will go on to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election but is expected to prevail in the deep-red state.