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Trump Rallies for Darline Graham in South Carolina Runoff · GNN Daily Breaking News

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  Speaker 1: Former President Donald Trump is returning to South Carolina today,
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  Speaker 1: staging a rally in Myrtle Beach to boost Darlene Graham's
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  Speaker 1: Senate campaign. Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsay Graham,
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  Speaker 1: is locked in a Republican runoff against Representative Ralph Norman
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  Speaker 1: for the seat left vacant after Lindsey Graham's sudden death
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  Speaker 1: last month. The Raleigh comes at a critical moment. Graham,
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  Speaker 1: appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to serve temporarily in the Senate,
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  Speaker 1: is seeking to secure her own mandate, but her campaign
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  Speaker 1: has faced turbulence after a debate earlier this week where
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  Speaker 1: she admitted I'm not that informed on national security. National
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  Speaker 1: security is not my thing. The remark drew sharp criticism,
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  Speaker 1: including from former South Carolina Governor Nikki Hayley, who warned
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  Speaker 1: this is not something you inherit and it's critical in
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  Speaker 1: the US Senate. Despite the backlash, Graham has defended her
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  Speaker 1: honesty to telling Fox News that voters care more about
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  Speaker 1: issues like cost of living, gun rights, and immigration. Still,
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  Speaker 1: the stumble has raised doubts about her readiness, making Trump's
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  Speaker 1: endorsement all the more pivotal. Representative Norman, her opponent, is
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  Speaker 1: a longtime conservative and member of the House Freedom Caucus.
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  Speaker 1: He finished second in the August eleventh primary with twenty
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  Speaker 1: four point six percent of the vote, trailing Graham's thirty
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  Speaker 1: two point eight percent. Because neither secured a majority, the
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  Speaker 1: race heads to a runoff on August twenty fifth, twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty six. Democrats are also watching closely. Pediatrician Annie Andrews
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  Speaker 1: has already raised more than four million dollars, positioning herself
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  Speaker 1: as a well funded challenger in November. While South Carolina
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  Speaker 1: is a deeply Republican state, the GOP runoff will determine
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  Speaker 1: who faces Andrews in the general election. For Trump, the
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  Speaker 1: rally is both a show of loyalty to Lindsey Graham's
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  Speaker 1: legacy and a test of his influence in Republican primaries.
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  Speaker 1: Some strategists argue as time might be better spent in
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  Speaker 1: battleground states, but his decision to campaign in South Carolina
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  Speaker 1: underscores how much he wants Graham to win. The outcome
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  Speaker 1: will shape not only South Carolina's Senate representation, but also
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  Speaker 1: perceptions of Trump's endorsement power. If Graham prevails, it will
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  Speaker 1: be seen as a validation of Trump's sway. If she falters,
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  Speaker 1: questions will grow about the limits of his influence, even
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  Speaker 1: in Republican strongholds.