President Trump Calls For Lindsey Graham’s Sister To Run For Her Brother’s Seat After Being Appointed As Temporary Replacement

President Trump doesn’t just want Lindsey Graham’s sister to be a temporary Senator but rather he wants her to be a permanent Senator.

Just days after President Trump announced his endorsement of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to temporarily fill her brother’s seat, he is now urging her to run for the Senate permanently.

Trump shared in a Truth Social post that he asked Darline to run in the Special Republican primary that will take place in August.

The Hill provided further details on Trump’s latest endorsement:

President Trump on Friday said he met in the Oval Office with newly appointed Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-S.C.), the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and asked her to run in the special Republican primary for a full term in the Senate seat.

“We have known each other for a long time — She is a spectacular person, and a true American Patriot. Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

“During her visit, I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey.”
Graham, 71, died from a “brief and sudden illness” last weekend, according to the longtime senator’s office, shortly after a trip abroad.

Graham Nordone was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) to temporarily fill the remainder of the late senator’s term, marking the first time a sibling has been sworn in to replace a senator who died in office.

Take a look:

🚨Just in: President Trump has officially endorsed Darline Graham Nordone in the South Carolina Republican Senate Primary Special Election on August 11th, 2026

She is the sister of the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham pic.twitter.com/ziUO0kbkGn

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) July 17, 2026

Fox News reported Darline Graham Nordone is seriously thinking about running for the seat:

Privately, Graham Nordone has reportedly expressed interest in running for a full term.

Three people familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press that Graham Nordone has started having conversations about a potential campaign.

She was appointed to fulfill the remainder of her brother’s term on Monday by McMaster, and was sworn in on Tuesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Here was the moment last week when Darline Graham Nordone was officially appointed to the Senate:

Darline Graham Nordone, Lindsey Graham's sister, is officially appointed to fill the late senator's seat.

“Lindsay has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him,” Nordone said. “It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work.”… pic.twitter.com/VIWdty23Cd

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 13, 2026