Republicans Fret After Darline Graham's Admission

Sen. Darline Graham did not fill her Republican supporters with confidence about her campaign to succeed her late brother in the Senate with one response in particular during a debate on Tuesday night in South Carolina. Asked by moderator Greta Van Susteren whether Taiwan and the South China Sea should be US security priorities, NBC News reports, Graham prefaced her answer by saying she was going to be honest, then replying, "National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise." She added that she supports the military.

Rep. Ralph Norman, her opponent in Tuesday's GOP runoff, seamlessly discussed the importance of Taiwan as an economic ally, per the New York Times. He connected his answer to what he said is President Trump's "peace through strength" strategy—though the president has endorsed Graham. The exchange stunned some Republicans in a state with deep military ties, with one local party leader predicting her response could "haunt her" on Tuesday, per NBC. "Uh-oh," was one Republican operative's reaction. Graham's supporters countered that no lawmaker arrives in Washington fully prepared and said Graham will benefit from Lindsey Graham's longtime staff, which is staying on to guide her if she wins a full six-year term.