Sen. Darline Graham stumbled over a foreign policy question during the only debate of the South Carolina Republican Senate runoff election, exposing a central vulnerability for a candidate who has won President Donald Trump’s support: her lack of political and policy experience.
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The moment came Tuesday night when Graham was asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea, a major flash point in the United States’ strategic competition with China. Graham acknowledged that she did not know enough about the issue to answer.
“I’m just going to be honest here,” she said. “I’m not that informed on national security.”
Gasps and boos could be heard from the audience.
The exchange was particularly striking given Graham’s political lineage and Trump’s backing. The president is scheduled to travel to Myrtle Beach on Friday to campaign for her. Graham lacks the foreign policy experience of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who advised Trump on national security matters.
She also lacks the governing experience of her opponent, Rep. Ralph Norman, a five-term congressman, who has campaigned on his long-standing conservative policy credentials.
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Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly on July 11. His sister was appointed to fill his seat temporarily, then won Trump’s support to campaign for a full term. She came in first in the initial round of the primary this month and faces a runoff on Tuesday.
“My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years, so I will do everything I can to support the military,” she said during the debate. “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.”
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