WASHINGTON — President Trump defended Sen. Darline Graham as he traveled to South Carolina Friday in an attempt to rescue her campaign after she stunningly said at a debate this week that “I’m not that informed on national security.”
“All she was is being honest. She’s very smart, and she was being honest,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews as he traveled to Myrtle Beach for an evening rally on Graham’s behalf ahead of her Aug. 25 Senate primary runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC).
“I mean, she’s into the price of groceries, the price of food, the price of beef, and it’s not — it hasn’t been her thing, but she’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military.”
Trump added: “I mean, she’s going to do what the military wants and really what the president wants. She understands that national security is my thing, and she is a terrific woman.”
Graham was appointed to her late brother Lindsey’s Senate seat — at Trump’s urging — on July 14 by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, but is at risk of losing the Republican nomination for a full six-year term in the aftermath of her weak debate performance.
She received 32.7% of the vote in the initial primary round of voting on Aug. 11, with Norman taking 24.6% and Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) coming in third with 19.7%.
The northeast of the state — where Trump is visiting — voted heavily for Fry in the first round, in theory making his supporters crucial to the outcome of the second round.
Graham stumbled on stage when she was asked about the relevance of Taiwan and the South China Sea to US national security.
“I’m not that informed on national security — so,” she replied. “National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”
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