President Donald Trump hurled a vile slur as he made a frantic plea for South Carolinians to rally behind Sen. Darline Graham amid GOP jitters about her race.
A race once expected to be a Republican lock has set off alarm bells after a poll showed Graham, who parachuted into her brother Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat following his sudden death at age 71, clinging to a one-point lead over Democratic challenger Dr. Annie Andrews.
The Trafalgar Group poll showed Trump’s handpicked candidate at 43.4 percent to Andrews’ 42.3 percent, even though Republicans made up a larger share of the sample at 59.1 percent.
Trump came charging to Graham’s rescue Monday with an unhinged Truth Social post that wasted no time opening with a transphobic slur.
“Annie ‘Trannie’ Andrews is running against our wonderful Darline Graham for the Senate in South Carolina,” the 80-year-old president began. “For years my dear friend Lindsey would say that, ‘Darline is the finest, most reliable, and one of the smartest people I have ever known.’ He would then always add, ‘Also, the most loyal!’ Oftentimes I would be upset with Lindsey for saying this, because I thought I had all of those qualities.”
He continued to use the slur repeatedly, writing, “In any event, Darline is a High Quality person, maybe the Highest, and Annie Trannie is not, in particular, as it pertains to representing the Values of the Great People of South Carolina—She is in favor of Transgender for Everyone, Open Borders, Defunding the Police, High Taxes, a Weak Military, and will absolutely fight to take your guns away—In other words, she is against our Great Second Amendment!”
Trump, who is facing a GOP rout in the midterms, implored South Carolina voters to cast their ballots for Graham, 62.
“Trannie is not for South Carolina, and South Carolina must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her. VOTE FOR DARLINE GRAHAM — SHE HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT, AND WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” he wrote.
Andrews, 45, is not transgender, but Republicans have made her support for transgender people a central line of attack. She has in turn shifted some of her positions, telling The New York Times that she does not “support biological men playing in women’s sports,” after previously opposing a bill barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
When reached for comment, Andrews’ campaign sent the Daily Beast a statement from the pediatrician.
“As a mom and a pediatrician, I’m in this race to fight for my patients, my three kids, and South Carolina. And I’m going to work with anyone to put South Carolina first, because lowering costs and making life better for families across our state is going to take all of us working together. If you care more about your bills than the politics in Washington, this campaign is for you,” Andrews said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trafalgar poll was not the only survey to show an unexpectedly tight race: An InsiderAdvantage poll conducted late last month also put Andrews just one point behind Graham, within the margin of error.
Republicans are acknowledging that Graham needs a financial infusion to win a state Trump carried by more than 17 points less than two years ago, the Times reports.
An official close to the White House told the Times that Graham’s “allies are monitoring the race closely and will make sure she wins.”
A second GOP official told the Times there were “conversations about getting more help for Darline,” and that Trump is planning his second visit to the state since his Myrtle Beach rally in August.
