Two protesters were reportedly removed from Donald Trump’s rally in Myrtle Beach on Friday, according to accounts from reporters at the scene, as Trump campaigned for Sen. Darline Graham ahead of South Carolina’s closely watched Republican Senate runoff against Congressman Ralph Norman.
President Donald Trump held a rally at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Friday, 21 August, in support of Sen. Darline Graham, ahead of Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff against Congressman Ralph Norman. According to accounts circulating from reporters covering the event, two protesters were escorted from the venue during Trump’s remarks, with one reportedly wearing a T-shirt bearing an explicit anti-paedophile message. These specific details of the disruption have not yet been confirmed by a wire service or official statement, and should be treated as reported by journalists on site rather than independently verified.
Graham fighting to hold her brother’s seat
Graham was appointed to the US Senate by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster last month, following the sudden death of her brother, longtime senator Lindsey Graham, who died on 11 July at the age of 71 after a brief illness, later attributed to an aortic tear. At Trump’s urging, Graham chose to run for a full term in her own right.
She finished first in the initial primary on 11 August, but fell short of the threshold needed to avoid a runoff, forcing Tuesday’s, 25 August, second-round vote against Norman. The winner will go on to face Democratic candidate Dr Annie Andrews in November.
A rally aimed at shoring up support
Friday’s rally marked Trump’s first visit to South Carolina in more than two years, and came as Graham worked to move past a rocky moment from a televised debate earlier in the week, in which she was asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea and responded that she was “not that informed on national security.” Speaking to supporters in Florence days before the rally, Graham acknowledged the toll of the campaign: “I’m not going to lie, it’s been a tough month. It really has. I lost my precious brother that I love so much. I’ve taken on a new job as United States senator, and I have had this absolutely brutal campaign trail. And I am still standing.”
Doors at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center opened at 3pm, with Trump taking the stage that evening.
Endorsements and divisions within the party
Ahead of the runoff, Trump reportedly encouraged Congressman Russell Fry, who represents the Myrtle Beach area and finished third in the first round, to endorse Graham, which he subsequently did, a potentially significant boost given Fry’s strong first-place finish across the Grand Strand and Pee Dee region he represents in Congress.
Not all prominent South Carolina Republicans have lined up behind Graham, however. Former Governor Mark Sanford, who also ran in the first round of the primary, has been among those questioning whether Graham, who has never previously held elected office, is the strongest candidate, with some voters citing her limited experience following her debate stumble.
Norman, for his part, has pointed to his own longer political record and consistent support for Trump’s agenda as reasons he should be the party’s pick.
