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Sen. Darline Graham, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister who was appointed to fill his vacant seat, admitted during a South Carolina GOP Senate debate that she is “not that informed on national security” as she campaigns for a full six-year term.
Graham made the candid admission just days before South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff between her and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., after a moderator asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the United States. She responded that national security is “not my thing” and “not my area of expertise.”
The political newcomer has the backing of President Donald Trump, who urged her to seek a full term and endorsed her candidacy after she was appointed to the Senate by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
“Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States, and if so, why or how?” the moderator asked.
Former Sen. Lindsey Graham, left, pictured alongside his sister, Darline Graham. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images; Rainier Ehrhardt/Associated Press)
“I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not that informed on national security,” Graham responded. “But I do support the military. My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years, so I will do everything I can to support the military. My dad was in the Army. I’m not a polished politician up here. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise. But I do support the military.”
The gaffe earned Graham backlash and responses on X, including from former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
“Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security. Darline Graham admits she’s not. This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate,” Haley wrote on X alongside a clip of Graham’s remarks.
“DEVASTATING: Darline Graham can’t answer a softball question about China and Taiwan, admitting she doesn’t know much about foreign policy,” wrote South Carolina talk-show host Tara Servatius, noting that her “stunned 16 year old answered it off the top of his head.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 14, 2026. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)
After the debate, Graham told reporters that South Carolinians are “worried about their pocketbooks more than they’re worried about the South China Sea, quite honestly,” according to the Post and Courier.
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Graham’s spin room comments echoed how she has previously described the differences between herself and her late brother, who made foreign policy and national security a hallmark of his Senate career.
During a July interview on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Graham recalled urging her brother to focus more on the everyday issues facing voters rather than national security.
“I would watch him, and I’d be like, ‘Lindsey, are you just talking about national security all the time?’” Graham said, pointing instead to issues such as groceries, gas and health care.
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Rep. Ralph Norman and Sen. Darline Graham. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Graham’s response to the Taiwan question wasn’t the only gaffe she had during Tuesday night’s debate. Graham is also facing heat for saying that South Carolina was home to 50 million residents, when in fact it only has about five million.
“Darlene Graham doesn’t even know how many people live in South Carolina! Here she is saying 50 million people live here. Darlene darling, approximately 5.5 million people, not 50 million people live in South Carolina. I can’t even right now with this Senate race,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on X.
