Darline Graham Says She's 'Not That Informed on National Security' in SC Senate Debate

Darline Graham, currently serving as an appointed U.S. senator from South Carolina, stated during a debate on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that she is "not that informed on national security" and that "national security is not my thing." The comment came in response to a question about whether Taiwan and the South China Sea pose threats to U.S. national security. Graham added that she does support the military. The debate was held in an opera house and was the only scheduled debate ahead of the Republican Senate primary runoff. Graham is running in a runoff election against Rep. Ralph Norman to determine the Republican nominee for the Senate seat previously held by her brother, Lindsey Graham, who died and whose passing led to her appointment to fill the seat. The runoff is scheduled for August 25, 2026. During the debate, Graham and Norman exchanged criticism of each other. The Guardian reported that Graham's remark drew gasps and boos from the debate audience. The runoff will determine the Republican nominee for the seat once held by Lindsey Graham, described by multiple outlets as one of the Senate's most prominent foreign policy hawks. It remains unresolved how the remark will affect the outcome of the August 25 runoff, and reports differ in how they characterize Darline Graham's overall qualifications and prior experience, with some noting she has no prior government or foreign policy background beyond her family connection to Lindsey Graham.