By
Ed Kilgore,
political columnist for Intelligencer since 2015
When Lindsey Graham suddenly died last weekend, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster immediately thought of his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, as a temporary replacement. Graham’s term was due to end this year, and he had just won the GOP nomination for another one. McMaster apparently brought up the idea of Darline filling her brother’s seat in a condolence call. After she indicated a willingness to serve, the governor also brought it up with President Trump, who publicly endorsed the idea right away. There was absolutely nothing in Trump’s endorsement, McMaster’s own statement announcing her appointment, or her swearing-in ceremony that suggested this was anything other than an interim gig. Indeed, it all looked like a convenient way to fend off the dozens of Palmetto State Republican politicians ready to leap into the Senate race until GOP leaders could all sort it out while offering a gracious gesture in memory of the late senator.
Perhaps the first sign that the interim senator might be more ambitious than expected is that she quickly dropped her married last name (Nordone) in public self-identifications and became Darline Graham, a name that might look pretty familiar on a ballot line. Soon enough, reports emerged that she was reconsidering the “interim” business and could run for the full term. Then we learned the president was thinking about backing her as well. And sure enough, he didn’t have to think very long or hard. In a Truth Social post, Trump acted like it was his idea all along:
