President Donald Trump on Monday publicly endorsed Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve as South Carolina’s interim U.S. senator following the longtime Republican lawmaker’s sudden death over the weekend.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had personally recommended Nordone to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, calling the appointment a fitting way to honor one of his closest allies in Washington.
“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina,” Trump wrote. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”
While McMaster has not yet announced a decision, Trump’s endorsement immediately thrust Nordone into the spotlight as Republicans prepare to fill the seat left vacant by Graham’s death. Under South Carolina law, the governor is responsible for appointing an interim senator until voters elect a permanent replacement in a special election.
Graham died Saturday at the age of 71 after what his office initially described as a “brief and sudden illness,” prompting an outpouring of tributes from lawmakers, world leaders and President Trump. The South Carolina Republican had served in the Senate since 2003 and was campaigning for a fifth full term.
According to preliminary findings released by the District of Columbia medical examiner, Graham died from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. An aortic dissection occurs when the inner layer of the body’s main artery tears, creating a life-threatening medical emergency. Officials said additional toxicology and microscopic testing will be completed before a final death certificate is issued, though the preliminary findings identified the cardiovascular event as the cause of death.
Darline Graham Nordone
Emergency responders were dispatched to Graham’s Capitol Hill residence Saturday evening after receiving reports of a cardiac arrest. First responders attempted lifesaving measures before transporting the senator, but he could not be revived. His office later thanked supporters for their prayers while requesting privacy for the family.
Graham’s death came only hours after he returned from a congressional trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed continued U.S. support for the country’s defense against Russia. He had also been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning and had remained deeply involved in Senate negotiations over national security legislation and sanctions targeting Moscow.
Trump revealed Sunday that he had spoken with Graham just hours before his death. According to the president, the senator said he was tired after his overseas trip but remained focused on advancing the SAVE America Act, election integrity legislation that had become one of his legislative priorities.
The relationship between Trump and Graham evolved dramatically over the past decade. Although Graham sharply criticized Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, the two later developed a close political partnership. Graham became one of the president’s strongest allies in the Senate, frequently defending Trump during impeachment proceedings while championing his judicial nominees, border security agenda and foreign policy priorities.
Before joining the Senate, Graham served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives after beginning his political career in the South Carolina House. He also spent decades serving in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve as a judge advocate, ultimately retiring with the rank of colonel. At the time of his death, he chaired the Senate Budget Committee and remained one of the Republican Party’s most influential voices on national security and foreign affairs.
Attention now turns to McMaster, who will decide whether to follow Trump’s recommendation as South Carolina prepares for its first Senate appointment in more than two decades.
