President Donald Trump intensified his involvement in the Republican primary in South Carolina by seeking new endorsements for state senator Darline Graham, his candidate for the runoff for a seat in the United States Senate, which will be held on August 25.
According to a report, Trump called former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford on Tuesday and asked him to support Graham. The contact occurred the same night Sanford finished fourth in the Republican primary. However, the former governor, who has a long-standing political rift with Trump, did not commit to the candidate and later stated that he did not plan to support either of the two candidates.
The president's intervention reflects his intention to prevent Republican support from concentrating on representative Ralph Norman, Graham's rival in the runoff. Trump has turned the election into a new test of his ability to influence within the Republican Party and seeks for his candidate to reach the Senate as an ally of his administration.
Trump also reached out to representative Russell Fry, who finished third in the primaries. Fry announced on Friday his support for Graham Nordone and argued that the president needs allies willing to defend his agenda in the Senate.
''Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who show up every day and get results,'' Fry stated. ''I believe Darline Graham will be exactly that''.
The president's team is also considering organizing a rally in support of Graham in the Myrtle Beach area before the runoff, although the event has not yet been confirmed. The locality is within Fry's district and could provide the campaign an opportunity to mobilize its supporters.
Trump has not completely ruled out the possibility of endorsing both candidates, an alternative that some of his allies have suggested to avoid a fracture within the Republican electorate. Nevertheless, the president has already publicly expressed his preference for Darline Graham.
