‘National Security Is Not My Thing’: Darline Graham Brings Her Knowledge Gap to the Debate Stage
It’s not like the upper chamber is brimming with people who can say national security is their thing—but senators do possess the power to ratify international treaties, approve defense budgets, and vote on formal declarations of war.
Photo: YouTube/C-SPAN Politics Midterms
National security is no light subject—and in most settings, it’s totally forgivable to avoid any conversations about it by saying you don’t really know what to say. Less forgivable, however? Saying that in a primary debate… when you’re hoping to win a seat in the upper chamber of Congress.
On Tuesday night, South Carolina’s (new-ish) Sen. Darline Graham (R)—sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham (RIP) and one of the contenders to replace her brother on the ballot in the midterms—went head-to-head with Rep. Ralph Norman at the Newberry Opera House, just seven days before South Carolinians head to the polls to pick their next GOP candidate for Senate. If you’ve seen it, you know what’s coming. If not, well, to put things nicely, it was one of the awkwardest things I’ve seen of late—and yes. I’ve seen The Invite.
Now, first and foremost, Norman’s no shining beacon, and he absolutely sucks when it comes to his anti-abortion record. But Graham proved to be a less-than-formidable opponent, if not for her outright admission that she’s not got the specs for the job.
“Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States?” one moderator asked, during the debate. “If so, why or how?”
“I’m just going to be honest here,” Graham replied. “I’m not that informed on national security, but I do support the military.” (In fairness, this exact sentiment feels like it was taken straight out the Pete Hegseth Book.) She explained her knowledge gap as her being “not a polished politician.” “National security is not my thing.”
Darlene Graham just bumbled through one of the worst responses to a question during a political debate you’ll ever see
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 18, 2026 at 11:05 PM
During the debate, Graham also referred to South Carolina as having “50 million people”—a nearly ninefold inflation to the actual population, which stands at about 5.6—so turns out numbers aren’t really her thing either. Unfortunately, all this lays bare that the GOP is left between a rock and a shit place, with Norman also screaming multiple red flags—including the fact he tried to get Trump to declare martial law after losing the 2020 elections.
Graham was only appointed to her Senate position last month, when Trump decreed it after her brother’s death. She’s since made no effort to be a better person than her brother, at one point also co-sponsoring the Senate’s version of Trump’s precious SAVE Act, a voter suppression bill that he seems to think will “guarantee the midterms.” Along with requiring Americans to prove proof of citizenship—such as a birth certificate or passport—when registering to vote, the legislation would expectedly impact anyone who’s changed their name and has to re-register with updated ID. Which, for obvious reasons, could very well backfire on her.
To the media: The woman running for Senate in South Carolina is Darline Nordone. If elected, she will help pass the SAVE Act, which means she won’t be able to vote because her married name–Nordone–won’t match the name on her birth certificate, which is Graham.
— Mary L Trump (@MaryLTrump) August 19, 2026
Until now, Graham’s palpable lack of political experience has left her struggling to convince voters she’s up to the job. Whether she meant for it to or not, however, the debate seems to have cemented her brand.
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