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4w ago

Trump Joins Emergency Tele‑Rally to Bolster Lindsey Graham Before South Carolina Primary

The last‑minute call aims to push Graham over the state’s 50% threshold to avoid a June 23 runoff and reveals sharp GOP divisions over his support for the war with Iran.

FILE - U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., takes questions from reporters following a South Carolina gubernatorial GOP candidate debate on April 1, in Newberry, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)
FILE - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with supporters after filing his reelection paperwork, March 16, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)
FILE - Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, R-S.C., takes questions from reporters after receiving the endorsement of Gov. Henry McMaster, R-S.C., in the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary, Feb. 12, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)
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Overview

  • President Trump agreed to join a 5:30 p.m. tele‑rally on Monday to urge South Carolina Republicans to back Sen. Lindsey Graham ahead of Tuesday’s primary.
  • Graham faces real risk of falling below the state’s 50% threshold that would force a June 23 runoff, a danger highlighted by mixed late polls that showed him both under and over the mark.
  • Mark Lynch, Graham’s principal challenger, has self‑funded his campaign with roughly $5 million and made Graham’s backing for the U.S. role in the Israel‑Iran conflict the central issue of his challenge.
  • Prominent pro‑Trump media figures publicly celebrated the possibility of Graham’s defeat even as Trump denounced Lynch and mobilized support for the incumbent.
  • The outcome will test how decisive Trump’s endorsements remain in Republican primaries and could reshuffle intra‑party power if South Carolina voters punish a senator for his Iran policy.