Trump lends support for Graham in South Carolina
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ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) -- President Donald Trump was in South Carolina for the second time in a month Thursday, a sign of growing Republican anxiety about Darline Graham’s ability to fend off a robust challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews for a critical U.S. Senate seat.
Voters in South Carolina have not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades. But Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress, is urging voters seeking change to "try something new for once."
That message could resonate in an election year that has come to be defined by voter frustration with the economy, gas prices and the war in Iran, putting Trump’s Republican Party on defense in territory where they have rarely had to compete in recent years.
Beyond South Carolina, Republicans are entering the final days of this year’s midterm elections navigating tight contests in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska. Both parties are also closely following developments in the Mississippi Senate race.
The president, returning to the White House, projected confidence about next week’s election, saying, "We’re going to have a strong Tuesday night."
Trump was adjusting his schedule, converting what his team had planned as a rally in rural, north central Kansas for GOP Sen. Roger Marshall to a tele-rally. The president also will participate in tele-rallies Thursday evening for candidates in Colorado and Montana, as part of a plan to have him hold nearly two dozen such remote events before Election Day, according to a person familiar with the operation who spoke on condition of anonymity to share internal plans and strategy.
The president’s team was feeling more optimistic about Republican prospects and bullish on Kansas, where Democrat Adam Hamilton is waging a very competitive challenge to Marshall. The decision to switch to tele-rallies -- where Trump tends to speak for 10 minutes instead of more than 90, as he does at in-person events -- allows Trump more to hit more areas as new data becomes available, the person said.
Asked whether the change was tied to an illness, Trump denied being sick and said he’s not traveling to Kansas "because he’s doing very well," an apparent reference to Marshall.
"I don't feel I have to go to Kansas," Trump said, adding that he still plans to travel to Florida on Friday.
In South Carolina, Graham has struggled to quickly build connections with voters. The sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, she was appointed in July by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to fill the remaining months of her brother's term after his sudden death. In August, she became the party's nominee to succeed him for a full six-year term.
"He was a great politician," Trump said of Lindsey Graham, before promoting Darline Graham as his elected successor. "She's got the gene."
Trump also acknowledged pressing her to run at a time other Republicans were seeking the seat.
"I got you into this thing, Darline," Trump quipped.
Speaking before Trump, Darline Graham, who planned to vote in Lexington after the event, commended the president for having "delivered what Washington promised for decades." She warned that Andrews "would just throw it all away.”
Andrews appeared in nearby Fort Mill on Wednesday, where she said that if voters elect her and become unhappy with her performance on Capitol Hill, "you can fire me in six years."
"I promise that I won't let you down, that I'm going to win you all over," she said.
Andrews’ success on Election Day will likely hinge on winning support from disaffected Republicans like Brent Chaplin. The 37-year-old who works in finance and accounting said he’s a registered Republican, "but it’s hard to be that right now."
He said he voted for Andrews and encouraged voters to think beyond partisan politics.
"You just can’t go and say I’m a Republican, I’m just going to vote Republican," said Chaplin, who voted for Trump in 2016. "You’ve got to put some brainpower into it and think about it. So hopefully it is a message to the powers that be to wake up, pick better candidates."
Benjamin Updegraft, a 32-year-old software engineer, expressed frustration that the Senate seat might stay in the Graham family.
"The Senate is not an inherited position," he said. "This is not a country where these noble titles are passed down between families."
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Sloan and Kinnard reported from Washington.