Trump stumps for S.C. Sen. Darline Graham ahead of GOP runoff

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) -- President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to South Carolina on Friday to make a last-minute appeal for Sen. Darline Graham, his chosen candidate to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, ahead of a Republican runoff next week.

The Myrtle Beach rally is the sort of campaign trail occasion that Trump hasn't done as much of this year, compared with past midterms, making it a signal of the importance Trump is placing on a win for his pick.

Trump has made no comment on the gaffe, which garnered attention after Graham told moderators, "National security is not my thing."

The president pressed "RUN DARLINE, RUN" on social media, and gave her his "Complete and Total Endorsement" before she'd officially announced her campaign.

Trump told South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster that appointing her would be a "fabulous tribute to Lindsey," setting up a dynamic in which the appointee is now competing against opponents who argue the seat shouldn't have been handed to a family member in the first place.

Earlier this week, after stumbling on an elemental foreign policy question related to U.S. interests in Taiwan, Graham defended herself as "not a polished politician up here."

Rep. Russell Fry finished third in this month's primary and swiftly endorsed Graham, calculating that alignment with Trump would benefit his own future political ambitions.

The runoff winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a physician, in November.