There is enough plausible deniability built into the framework of what is anticipated to be a MAGA rally by President Trump in South Carolina in support of Republican Senate candidate Darline Graham, the sister of Lindsey Graham.
The first indication surfaced in a cancellation announcement by the South Carolina state GOP which canceled its Senate Stump Stop in Anderson County, SC, in anticipation of Trump traveling to Myrtle Beach “on behalf of one of the runoff candidates.”
However, after the Washington Examiner published their article on Trump’s travel plan, the White House did not return a comment. [SOURCE] This may indicate the people around President Trump are noticing a looming likelihood that Darline Graham will not win the contest. It would be an embarrassing defeat for President Trump to lose the contest after putting his endorsement behind Darline Graham-Nordone.
The oppositional media are paying close attention to the opportunity to undermine President Trump and now framing the contest as Nikki Haley vs Donald Trump because Ralph Norman previously supported Nikki Haley.
Ralph Norman and Darline Graham-Nordone are scheduled to debate tomorrow, August 18th on Newsmax. The Trump rally with Mrs Graham-Nordone was presumably scheduled for Friday, August 21. If Trump retreats from the rally, it means internal polling supports a Norman victory.
NEWBERRY, S.C. (WIS) – The South Carolina Republican Party (SCGOP) announced that a debate will be held between Sen. Darline Graham and Congressman Ralph Norman after they both advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
The debate will take place Tuesday, August 18, at the Newberry Opera House in cooperation with Newsmax. (more)
A runoff between two RINOS. I’m underwhelmed.
Yes, both bad choices. We’re in the trap again and this one is particularly high profile.
The process for this one was stomped on. We didn’t get a chance to see if a truly America First candidate could ascend.
Lindsey Graham died on July 11,2026 unexpectedly. Gov. McMaster chose Darline Graham Nardone to fill out the term of her brother. I think that was a smart move.
There had to be a primary. 10 candidates were on the ballot. There were many choices for voters. Nobody in this large field reached 50%. The biggest vote getters were Darline Graham and Ralph Norman. Ok so now there is a runoff. The SC republicans Party did not chose the candidate, SC voters did. We will vote again either for Darline Graham ( an unknown new politician) or Ralph Norman who has a long legislative record, that leans conservative.
I think that is a good summary of the situation.
I don’t live in SC, and thus I am not familiar with anyone who might run to fill Lindsey Graham’s seat.
Generally, I am not a fan of family members taking over when someone dies in office.
Deborah Dingell… Jean Carnahan. Dingell succeeded her late husband John Jr. after he retired as the longest serving member of the U.S. HoR (59 years). A Dingell (John Sr. was the first) has been a member of Michigan’s House delegation since 1933.
Why is a true conservative, (look at his voting record,) Vice Chair of the house freedom caucus, with an A rating from all conservative sites, who was the original sponsor of the Save Act, a bad choice? You must not be from SC.
Obviously several folks here aren’t from SC or they don’t know what they’re talking about or both!
Exactly.
My thoughts exactly 💯. Ralph Norman is one of the best we have in CONgress. He’ll be 1000 times better that neocon Lindsey.
Being a sponsor of the bill means nothing, it doesn’t get it done. Norman is a RINO just like RINO senators who refuse to pass the SAVE act.
That is utter nonsense. Norman has voted AND PASSED it in the House of Representatives 4 TIMES. Suggesting he is in any way responsible for the Senate not getting it done is no less absurd than my blaming YOU, personally for … trillions of dollars in deficits.
As another Treepers posted a few days ago, you never miss an opportunity to undercut President Trump.
Bingo! Bingo! Bingo!
Been noticing that for awhile now.
But 72 upvotes is rather telling, no?
It is. It has a army following it
It appears to be the correct pronoun.
mapping likes is a standard method of identifying subversion. nothing is anonymous
Not sure those are real votes or bots.
Yes. Some thinks its bots, particularly when she got about 175, more than Sundance? Something vey odd about Bot-Sunshine who rains on Trump’s parade a lot. Very negative.
Actually, no. Slick brings the votes with him in his Bot Bucket.
You’re just still mad they got rid of the Coward Flag. 🤣
Bot Bucket. That makes sense.
Yep.
You are the “Shannon Bream” of Conservative Treehouse! Norman has a 92% “A” rating by Conservative Review. Miss Lindsey, God rest his tush, had a 43% “F” rating. The choice is obvious!
Couldn’t agree more. I posted in favor of Norman but then I read this post. Can’t the GOP run anyone worth a crap in that state?
Russell Fry was an excellent choice in my opinion. He has the record to prove it. He’s my Representative. I voted for him in the primary as well.
If you ask me it was rigged. Fry really is MAGA America First.
I voted Fry as well. While we never know, he did seem the most MAGA of the choices and younger. In the 20 plus years of living in SC, I never voted for Linda, ever, for anything. Not gonna start now.
Me and my husband did as well.
Russel Fry’s record includes successfully whipping the votes needed to override the governors veto and thereby raising the SC state gas tax by 12 cents a gallon. Conservative republicans DO NOT whip votes to raise taxes. So Fry’s record proves that he is not a conservative republican.
I’m glad you mentioned that.
For the uneducated:
The primary driver for the override was the urgent need to address South Carolina’s crumbling roads and bridges. The legislation (H. 3516) was designed to generate approximately $630 million annually for infrastructure projects. Fry and other proponents argued that the existing funding mechanisms were insufficient to maintain the state’s transportation system, and the gas tax hike was the necessary solution to prevent further deterioration.
Fry supported the measure because it was a comprehensive package that balanced the tax increase with other provisions:
I call BS – NEVER vote for tax increases. FIND ANOTHER WAY.
Correct. Either no one noticed that or they’re too wealthy to care. Besides Norman’s voting record is better than Fry.
Didn’t fry push, lead, and succeed at getting an additional 12cent/gal gas tax? I had hoped and prayed for more successful businessmen like Trump. Fewer career politicians like Fry and Norman.
But we get what we’ve got. I’ll vote for Norman.
Norman isn’t a career politician. He is a successful businessman and didn’t get into politics until later in life.
As someone who drives on I-95 in SC often, I would say the 12 cents additional gas tax was needed badly. SC still has lower gas prices than most of the states.
Many other roads need help. Where’s all that money??
Do they? Still?
Because I’ve lived in SC for 3 years now and we’ve visited 28 of the 50 of the State Parks, Historical Sites, Recreation Areas, etc managed by the SC Park Service, including ALL of the Upstate, a chunk of Midlands, a couple Coastal. And I’ve yet to see a bad road. A couple dirt ones out in the boonies. But the paved roads are in better condition than roads in the Midwest. And I spent 25 years road tripping all over the Midwest.
Should have made it $2 instead of .12??? Right?!
“Conservatives” ok with tax increases?
Maybe I clicked the wrong link? What site am I on?
Nope, he championed the gas tax. He’s a swamp critter.
Not in the run-off.! You only have a binary choice.
You can say that about the GOP in many states. Often the people running the local party are RINOs or not much better, or who think this is the 1950s still and just want everyone to be nice and then everyone gets what they want. The local GOP apparatchiks are sometimes as much the problem as the Democrats are.
So true! I volunteered here in North Carolina for several years. Never again!
So true for Ohio RINOs at the state AND local levels. Politics seem to attract the low IQs, greed, power hungry, or all three.
The Deep State is even hiding in corners you would have expected had been cleaned.
He may have supported haley but his voting record is conservative. Better than lindsey’s ever was.
made me laugh… thank you…
Well. Darline does support the Save America Act and supported canceling the August recess to pass it and supports doing away with the filibuster to pass it. And she is quite loud about it. So, apparently, from your perspective, the Save America Act must not be that important.
True. But Uber Rino Tim Scott endorsed Darlene so I’m for Ralph Norman.
I do not understand the RINO label for Ralph Norman. He has an over 95% rating by the conservative organization that checks voting. 95% is better than most anyone I suspect.
That RINO label is BS, just like all of those false ads against Norman, paid for by out-of-state, pro-Graham Pacs pouring money into her campaign. You can read the writing all over the wall.
Good she was never going to win. She basically knows nothing about politics. And she supports some lefties. The one short speech she said was like gobbledy gook
Most of the Congress and Judiciary knows nothing about the Constitution
That could be said of current office holders right on up.
They Stopped teaching it in public school a hundred years ago.
I have suggested before many times that Congress Critters need to pass 70%+ a Constitution Test before they can be sworn in.
Most would fail.
Well she’d fit right into the republiCON senate then wouldn’t she?!?!
The GOP’s Harris??????
kamala dna?😳
Oh Lord, we don’t need another Kamalala in Washington!
Nikki Haley – what a stain on the GOP.
Major, major tell that she has zero position in the Trump Admin.
Sending her over to the UN was masterful.
Trump essentially gave her a job of chasing parked cars.
Woof!
And he cleared out the SC Governor’s spot so then Lt. Gov. McMaster could move up and still be eligible for 2 terms.
McMaster was the first, and highest ranking elected Republican to endorse Donald Trump in 2016.
I think Gov. McMaster is a good governor. He was recently awarded “the Order of the Palmetto” for his long outstanding service to SC
Illicit drug trafficking was a huge problem on Hilton Head. As a prosecutor, McMaster and his team surveiled the owners of a large sailboat that would depart the island with a high waterline and come back m with the ship loaded with drugs and sitting low in the water. McMaster and his team charged and convicted a local good ole boy network of drug smugglers
I have admired the lowkey Mc Master ever since.
McMaster is, and was a complete disaster for SC. Do nothing establishment RINO.
Respectfully Hal you are misinformed. You must be a supporter of the democrats candidate who thinks marriage between a man and a woman is an outdated horrid ideal.
Why is it a binary choice?
Ditto!
That explains Stikki Nikki’s flat face.
Her sleaze factor is explained by her trysts with SC power brokers in her tinted window luxury SUV with powerful A/C to handle humid Southern nights — and a generous supension to damp rocking motions.
Quite an imagination there, Sherman!
This runoff election reminds me a little of Aunt Bee running against Howard Sprague for Town Council in a 1966 episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
But not as wholesome…
LOL
Welcome to Mayberry, BG!
Small town life….when did we lose it, WD….
I think it started in the ‘70s, Betsy. I grew up in a small town. A church on every corner. Everybody knew each other and we all cared for each other. Whenever I watch a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show, I am reminded of my small hometown. We even had some of the same characters in Mayberry! 🤭
Again I’m experiencing “hiraeth”…that ache and longing for times and people past. That’s a brief description because it goes much deeper. A Welsh word for which there is no English equivalent… and possibly my favourite.
This one’s for Betsy:
President Trump doesn’t want to get caught making a mistake about 1066 and all that 🙂
😂 👍🏻 😁
(Keep on keeping on, dear WORDMAN 😘)
I apologize to other Treepers for our ‘private joke’…
The Norman Conquest 🙂
The 1066 was a give-a-way…. 😉
I still think Trump needs to fire whoever recommended he endorse Graham.
…as I see it neither 2 top officials in US … have real intention make peace with Russia…and they Russia know it….to campaign for sister of #1 warmonger in the USA..???
She would be better off managing some part of the Charleston Cotillion…
She doesn’t have the pedigree.
Lorraine —
Now that had to hurt — OUCH!
The Grahams were not from the Low Country, they were from the Upstate near Clemson.
Careful what you wish for. He might end up firing himself:)
POTUS is a smart man. That said, I’m putting this all on him, not a staffer. He needs to own it.
Probably rhymes with Susie Wiles.
He NEEDS to fire MANY, MANY more other than that particular…darling Susie for starters and clean the slate.
“ It would be an embarrassing defeat for President Trump to lose the contest after putting his endorsement behind Darline Graham-Nordone.”
I disagree.
I thought it embarrassing that Trump endorsed her. I expected better decision making from this administration. Staying out of it would’ve been better.
Perhaps the cancelation of a visit to the State is the “stay out of it” you want.
He can’t seem to understand CONSERVATISM any better this term than last.
Wasn’t Evette a embarassing defeat? Trump is going to go 0 for 2 in SC because he is listening to RINO Tim Scott.
Tim is the next one that needs to take a hike!
Big time.
Hopefully his endorsement of dangenfelder in Wyoming fails tomorrow too and we get a real conservative in Brent Bien.
conservative is what the republican party calls itself — we are members of the Trump — MAGA/America FIRST party!!!
I’m surprised by the number of people who would directly support someone who directly undercut our fighter.
thankfully plenty of people still think and analyze their positions for themselves.
There is value in that, of course. That is what makes us different.
But this isn’t Paxton vs. Cornyn we are talking about. I don’t see many comments about how great of a candidate Norman is. And he has one major strike against him.
All things being equal, or close, why not support the President?
Makes sense to me. I don’t even this it’s about thinking for oneself as Bulley said. That seems rather egotistic for me to think I know more than President Trump knows in any given situation. There isn’t anything about the way he governs that makes me think otherwise.
Trumps ego is getting in the way of make a smart decision on this. He should have stayed out of it and said nothing.
Think it’s more about loyalty than ego. He encouraged her to fill in, maybe he had good reason for it.
Perhaps, the general election will be paused so this discussion will be moot.
A possibility….
Thank you Mrs. Feeling — “GOOD reason.”
If he was smart, he would have endorsed both and let SC decide who they want.
****************HALLELUJAH!*********.
It’s becoming a dagger.
I wish he wouldn’t interfere with primary elections. Let the people pick. He’s made some bad support calls here in Florida. Then during the general election unleash his best to beat off the demonrats. Just my two cents.
Wish Trump would sit this one out.
-Let the voters of SC sort this out.
whenever I see this picture…
my built-in BS detector immediately makes me see this picture for some reason….
sigh
Your built-in BS detector needs new batteries.
That pic made you think of the Weepy Tan Man and Mr. Gridiron Club?
Sea Island
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/05/09/georgia-gov-brian-kemp-organizes-billionaire-bush-clan-on-sea-island-to-plot-state-for-desantis-while-ga-secretary-of-state-brad-raffensperger-meets-with-zuckerberg-ceir-election-manipulation-group/
DC is a bubble of its own fever dreams & nobody looks/listens to the people that matter.
So many SC voters were against her appointment that it should have been obvious that Lindsey’s little sister had no means of winning over the electorate.
Endorse candidate.
See candidate is unpopular.
Abandon candidate so as to not appear like you’re bad at picking winners.
Woah buddy!!!
why not stand behind your endorsement, or articulate why it has changed?
Huge difference between holding a support rally and not pulling an endorsement. He hasn’t pulled his endorsement so far as we know at the moment.
She may not or the Sc GOP may not want a rally……
The RINOs led by Thune would love to be in the minority selling their little block of votes again….spit!
Thune doing a Pauly Ryan. Repubs love to Lose, Less work, more blathering, and golfing while fundraising.
We all thought we’d never shake the guy out of the senate, when he exits on his own accord. Finally a chance at greatness… and Trump goes for her.
President Trump should stay out of it. Let South Carolina cook their own goose.
IMHO, the GOP/RNC would just as soon LOSE that Senate seat formerly occupied by Lindsey Graham . . . they want a slimmer majority for their game-playing BS.
The GOP/RNC.
Experts at grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory.
Precisely!
Why can’t it just be a contest between Norman and Nordone? Geesh…
Thanks for the heads up on the debate.
Something Coattail rider DeSantis would say.
Has she mentioned anything about the Save America proposal
Yes Nordone is for the save act
and Norman as well I presume. Decisions Decisions
What is worse, the backstabbing RINO politics of South Carolina, or, the overt communism of much of New England politics?
<Ralph Norman and Darline Graham-Nordone are scheduled to debate tomorrow, August 18th on Newsmax.>
Between this, and how important they think their latest stock offering is, it’s a wonder anyone watches them at all. News Min Promos Max.
Yep. They sure like to pat themselves on their backs. I stopped watching them long ago when Greta was hired.
Newsmax was founded by a former major Clinton donor.
lets hope internal rolling shows norman will win.
Every dumb YouTube video I watched in the last two days has been preceded by a negative ad about Norman. I did not know that he is the son of Beelzebub.
YouTube has ads?
He’s not. Maybe you should stop watching dumb YouTube videos!
https://www.autoblog.com/news/your-car-may-be-tracked-without-you-ever-knowing
Off topic. There is a thread already posted today: here is the link. https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/08/17/interactive-search-map-for-flock-cameras-near-you/#comments
You’re right, thanks for catching that. I inadvertently posted it in the wrong thread.
As long as we the voters are freed from all the burdens of choosing our own representatives, then i am satisfied.
And don’t forget South Carolina has open primaries.
Thought I read since this is a run-off that only those who chose to vote a GOP ballot in the original primary would be eligible to vote in this follow up contest?
So those who voted on the left could not vote again, as it were, for the candidate on the other side.
That is correct.
In a primary runoff in SC, only those who previously voted in the first round of the primary, OR those who did not vote at all, can participate in the runoff.
So anyone who voted in the Dem primary previously CAN NOT vote in this runoff.
However, anyone who did not vote in EITHER primary can vote in this one.
SonDem crossovers can happen, as long as the voter did not cast a vote in the original Dem primary.
EDITORIAL: open primaries are bone dry STUPID. Should only be open to PREVIOUSLY registered party members.
Not for this election.
What is the benefit of an open primary? When do we start eliminating the trash on the Left?
party time
Please clap.
Pathetic John Ellis Bush.
I have not thought about him in ages, where has he been, what is he doing? I really don’t want to know, just thought I would ask.
Stumping for Graham could backfire.
If she loses, Norman won’t be very eager to fight hard for Trump priorities should he win General.
Better to just step back and then fight hard for the winner in the General.
True. We don’t need another Tillis or Cornyn.
If Senator Darlene Graham is a yes vote for the SAVE act it would be worth it in President Trump’s estimation I would think. Senator Graham has already said it would be a yes vote.
She will vote wars just like her damn brother did….
We’re caught in a trap, we can’t get out,
because we love Trump too much baby.
Why don;’ he see, what it’s doing to us?
(apologies to Elvis)
Elvis, RIP – 8/16/1977
Hmmmmm.
Democrat & RINO Dark Money Flocks to Darline Graham
Pay attention to where the RINO establishment support and Democrat dark money flows. Thune’s support of Darline Graham from day one should immediately make everyone question what she stands for.
Video:
https://truthsocial.com/@jfradioshow/117113420465464503
It’s your moral duty not to vote for RINO’s.
Lin Wood 2026!!
https://www.fitsnews.com/2021/03/28/pro-trump-attorney-lin-wood-moves-to-south-carolina/
Wow! I’m good with that!!!
On the bright side, at least Nikki Haley is not running to replace Graham
Lindsey Graham was a back-stabbing little rat-weasel warmonger.
He plotted with John McCain to overthrow PDT and then celebrated the Coup. He was a fair-weather friend of freedom.
Good riddance.
Why is Darline now a Grahmn and not a Nardine? Her appointment was a Feel Good and Temporaty for Lindsey, bless his heart.
The Rat Party of democRats and rinoRats Share so much in Common
My wish that upon finishing his second term the President finishes off the GOP/RNC. We deserve better.
Power and prestige is alluring. Darline should have graciously declined to run.
If I were PDJT I’d bring both candidates together, have them meet and shake hands on stage, like boxers at the weigh in before the match. Have an “America 1st” rally and emphasize the need for unity among conservatives. Both may be RINOs, but a Demonrat would be much worse than either. Throw PDJT’s support behind the people of SC and whichever R candidate they choose. Whichever wins, it’s a win for PDJT.
It makes NO DIFFERENCE….
Who is Darline Graham-Maybe?
What a tool!
This is absolute madness.
And we wonder why the younger gop generations are abandoning the party?
IMMIGRATION, SAFETY and ECONOMY.
JOBS going overseas everyday (big corporates) YET we ALLOW ALL these work VISAS to the same citizens HERE DESTROYING jobs our kids and grandkids can’t obtain or yet, NOW BEING FIRED FROM.
IMMIGRATION destroyed heath care, hospitals, housing and crime. DESTROYED.
Safety; don’t look now but USA IS NOT SAFE. Crime is horrid and want to know the primary reason, ABOVE, IMMIGRATION…..
Michigan, Minnesota are overtaken by foreigners that now act as if those towns, cities are theirs.
NY and many others to follow electing communists, socialists…
Yet the worthless gop controlled house & senate DO NOTHING.
Can’t see Trump’s 2nd term is better than first with all those he surrounds himself with. BAD optics and BAD recommendations; but keep Susie there….bloodbath cometh.
Hoo-boy !
People in SC don’t want ms nordone. The little anyone knows about her is bad enough. Norman may have supported Haley but he has a far better voting record than lindsey graham did.
We had such hope at one time. Then Trump fell into the Middle East trap. We thought he knew better. Actually he did know better. And this. Oh my.
Yep, and darling Darlene will vote wars until she dies just like her big bro.
Trump fallen into trap after trap after trap……
We support Ralph because we know he is a principled conservative with a strong resume for America First. Did he back Haley, yes, but that relationship goes back 20 years and President Trump received a phone call from Ralph explaining it. Voting Darline gets you Lindsey’s political machine/$$, which is why I think PDJT is backing her. Decent article on this topic (Vote Norman!): https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/02/23/trump-nikki-haley-ralph-norman-00142431
Don’t do it, Pres Trump!
I’ll take Norman over Graham.
Trumps endorsement power may fade as his domestic agenda continues to flounder. And the Senate makes him look foolish as he endorsed most of them too.
As of today, Tuesday, Trump’s SC visit is on. He probably talked with Russ Fry and likely made a deal for Fry’s Nordane endorsement, in exchange for a place on the stage with an endorsement for Fry. Remember, Fry is running for reelection. Backroom politics as usual. Norman, the better of two bad choices.
Rumbling on the internet to the effect that Darline does not qualify to run since she did not vote in recent past primaries?
Info sketchy at this point.
Anyone heard anything?
0.o