Posted on 07/13/2026 9:15:12 AM PDT by libh8er
President Donald Trump on Monday urged South Carolina’s governor to appoint late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill his Senate seat through the rest of the year.
Graham, 71, died unexpectedly on Saturday, leaving an opening for the seat through the end of his term.
“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” Trump posted on TruthSocial.
Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster has the authority to name an interim replacement to finish Graham’s term. McMaster has a press conference scheduled Monday afternoon to reflect on Graham’s life and announce the interim appointment.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
Hmm I don’t like it. Nope.
Why? This kind of thing has often been done.
Is she a Democrat like Lindsey?
It looks like an apolitical pick, and she is unlikely to run in the primary. This probably helps Lynch, the runner up in the primary.
I bet she is even more prog than he was.
Wonderful.
Why does this senate seat always have to be wasted?
I think it’s a good idea. She will keep the office momentum up into November. She could possibly be the nominee to take the seat in November and the sympathy vote then could outweigh the name recognition of the Dumbocrat.
I read this morning that he started taking care of her when she was thirteen and adopted her so she could be in line for his military benefits.
Dynasties and nepotism.
Yes. The appointment is to be only as a placeholder until an August primary and November elections. Graham’s staff will assist her greatly and as a placeholder she will be out of the the politics and needs of the primary and general election demands.
This was not unusual in the past. It was called ‘widow’s succession’, as it was usually the wife of the deceased office holder who took over as a ‘placeholder’.
Yep, all the “Smarter than Trump” types will be opining about this...
The interim Senator should probably be the strongest possible conservative prospect to win in November and hold that seat.
Trump should keep his silence unless he has carefully vetted the pick with the South Carolina GOP and the congressional delegation.
Trump’s record on appointments is pretty sketchy. He’s driven to be first on Truth Social, but this isn’t his call to make.
I think it’s a good idea. This is only until the end of his term in Jan 2027....and we’re not taking anyone out of the House....
Jamestown1630 wrote: This was not unusual in the past. It was called ‘widow’s succession’, as it was usually the wife of the deceased office holder who took over as a ‘placeholder’.
Most recently done.
Letlow’s husband, Luke Letlow, was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana’s 5th congressional district in the 2020 elections, but died from COVID-19 in December 2020, before taking office. Julia decided to run in the special election for the vacant seat in January 2021. During her campaign, she secured a number of high-profile endorsements, including one from former President Donald Trump. By the end of February, Letlow had raised $683,000, the most money raised by any candidate in the race. On March 20, she received over 64% of the vote in the nonpartisan blanket primary, winning the election outright and avoiding a runoff. Letlow is the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana.
On January 20, 2026, Letlow announced that she would run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, challenging Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy. She won Trump’s endorsement and defeated Cassidy in the primary, advancing to a runoff with state Treasurer John Fleming. On June 27, 2026, she defeated Fleming in the runoff and won the Republican nomination. If elected, she will become the first Republican woman in the U.S. Senate representing Louisiana.
Also Maragret Chase Smith follow her husband to the house in 1940 and later was the first woman elected to both the house and seante. Olympia Snowe out did her in being the first wonam elected as a state rep, state senator, congresswoman and senator, following the death of her husband.
It just does not sit right with me but I may be wrong.
It just does not sit right with me but I may be wrong.
A very honorable thing to do.
He adopted his sister?
Give me a minute to get my mind wrapped around that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.