Yesterday, the internet piled on Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) – the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, who was appointed by her state’s Republican governor to serve the rest of her brother’s term – for giving one of the worst answers in a political debate when asked about her position on Taiwan.
Now she says it’s OK because no one cares about international politics. They care about trans kids.
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“I tripped up on one question last night regarding Taiwan,” Graham Nordone told Sean Hannity on Fox News yesterday. “I’ve said many times, I’m not a politician, certainly not a career politician, I don’t speak politician. You know, I was just honest.”
“I think people in South Carolina are more worried about making ends meet, they’re concerned about boys in girls’ sports. One lady talked to me extensively about that today.”
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“They’re concerned about a lot of other things other than Taiwan.”
Graham Nordone was appointed as a caretaker for her brother’s Senate office in July, and almost immediately afterward she announced her own Senate campaign, despite having no background in elected office.
On Tuesday night, at a debate for the special primary to determine the GOP nominee for the Senate seat, Graham Nordone was asked about her position on the conflict between Taiwan and China and whether it is a “national security issue” for the US.
“I’m just gonna be honest here, I have not- On national security that- I’m not that informed on national security, so…” Graham Nordone responded. “But I do support the military.”
Her response received a lot of attention online, and yesterday she appeared on Hannity’s show for a friendly interview in which he tried to help her downplay her lack of knowledge about world affairs.
“I wonder how many people around the country, if I gave them a map, could pick out Taiwan?” Hannity said as he brought the topic up during the interview. “I don’t think many.”
Later in the interview, Hannity said that Graham Nordone must have extensive knowledge about the Middle East and Ukraine because of who her brother was.
“I know we need to stand with the Israel,” she responded, explaining that she is more focused on domestic policy.
Graham Nordone used attacks on trans people to bolster her campaign since its inception. In July, she released a video announcing her Senate campaign where she said, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.”
South Carolina already bans trans kids from participating in school sports with others of their gender and was among the first states to do so in 2022. It’s not clear why this would be a concern for people in her state, since even states that allow trans kids to participate in school sports see few trans kids exercising that right.
Graham Nordone will face Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in a special primary on August 25. Early voting has already started.
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