Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won her South Carolina Senate primary campaign against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), officially winning a full term in the seat once held by her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
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During the campaign she was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who she vowed to staunchly support in a full Senate term throughout the campaign.
She overcome harsh criticisms: Graham was often accused of overreaching due to her complete lack of previous political experience. That inexperience was highlighted during her debate against Norman when she admitted that she did not know anything about America’s relationship with its close ally, Taiwan. The United States has repeatedly pledged to protect Taiwan if it is invaded by China, which claims the nation to be part of its own territory.
After being asked about Taiwan during the debate with Norman, Graham admitted “national security is not my thing” and “I’m not that informed on national security.”
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She also said that, because of her brother’s extensive experience in handling foreign policy, she felt comfortable discussing domestic issues like affordability. By contrast, Norman described Taiwan as “a definite ally” and claimed Trump was “enabling Taiwan to defend themselves against China.”
Speaking to the Associated Press, Norman — who often criticizes Trump, although he generally supports the president’s agenda — had more detailed foreign policy problems with his fellow Republican.
“(Trump) did a great job of taking out the nuclear threat that we had for 40 years. … but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Norman told the AP. “The American people do not understand the Strait of Hormuz not being completely controlled by America. That’s what I hear. And gas prices, as a result, are staying high. And I think one of the worst things the president wants is the public to turn on him because he’s not ending it.”
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