Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. President Donald Trump was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, rallying for Darline Graham, the sister of his late friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham. The signs at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center read “South Carolina is Graham Country,” and Trump was there to make sure everyone knew it. He’s all in on Darline’s candidacy, even after she said national security is “not my thing” – a moment that made some of her supporters cringe.
The Republican runoff is on Tuesday, and it’s going to be a test of Trump’s endorsement power. He’s been having a bit of a rough patch lately, with some of his chosen candidates coming up short in recent primaries. But he’s not giving up, and he’s pulling out all the stops to get Darline elected. He even told the crowd to “pretend” he’s on the ballot, because apparently, his people don’t show up to vote unless he’s on the ticket.
Trump’s speech was classic Trump – he talked about his 90,000-square-foot ballroom, read the poem “The Snake,” and blamed inflation on Democrats. He also took aim at democratic socialist candidates and old rivals like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. But he kept coming back to Darline Graham, whom he named nearly 50 times over the 80-minute speech. I mean, the man loves to talk, but that’s just ridiculous.
Despite the debate gaffe, Trump thinks Darline is the best thing since sliced bread. He’s worked the phones for her, calling her opponents to push them to endorse her. And it seems to be working – at least one of her opponents, Rep. Russell Fry, has thrown his support behind her. But not everyone is convinced – former Gov. Mark Sanford announced he’s supporting her opponent, Rep. Ralph Norman.
The president’s endorsement has swayed some voters, but others are still undecided. One voter, Jeff Ross, said Trump’s endorsement makes a “big difference,” but his friend Leonard was more skeptical. “A lot of people here are free thinkers,” he said, “and they’re going to make up their own minds.” Well, bless their hearts.
Trump made it clear that this trip was personal – both for his late friend Lindsey and himself. He said he’s doing it to honor Lindsey, and that he doesn’t have to be there, but he is. And with his political capital on the line, he ended with another appeal to his coalition to show up. “And remember, they say, again, that Trump gets a lot of votes, but if he’s not on the ballot, people don’t vote so much. I am on the ballot. We’re all on the ballot.” Yeah, because that’s not confusing at all.
In conclusion, the Republican runoff in South Carolina is going to be a wild ride, folks. Trump is all in on Darline Graham, and he’s pulling out all the stops to get her elected. Whether it’ll work remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be entertaining. And who knows, maybe Trump’s endorsement will be enough to sway the voters. After all, as one voter said, “Anybody that he backs seems to do very well.” So, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens on Tuesday. And in the meantime, I’ll just be over here, sipping my coffee and enjoying the show.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
