Darline Graham sworn in after Lindsey Graham’s death; GOP to pick nominee Aug. 11

  • President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet newly appointed Sen. Darline Graham at the White House on Thursday, according to The Guardian.
  • Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday after Trump recommended her for the seat.
  • Graham’s term expires Jan. 3; South Carolina Republicans will hold a special primary on Aug. 11 to choose a new nominee for the November midterm election.
  • Trump is also scheduled to meet El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at the White House on Thursday.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet newly appointed Sen. Darline Graham at the White House on Thursday, five days after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to reports from The Guardian. The Oval Office meeting is set for 9:30 a.m. local time. Trump also plans to host El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at 11 a.m. in the Oval Office.

Darline Graham was sworn in Tuesday after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to fill the remainder of Lindsey Graham’s current term, which ends Jan. 3. Trump publicly recommended her for the position on social media, writing that he had recommended “Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina.”

In brief remarks Monday, Darline Graham called it an “honor” to replace her older brother, who had been her legal guardian after their parents died when she was a girl. “I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States,” she said. “I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way.”

Lindsey Graham died July 11 at age 71 after what his office called a “brief and sudden illness.” The chief medical examiner preliminarily ruled the cause of death as aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease. At the time of his death, Graham was seeking a fifth Senate term, having won the Republican nomination only last month.

The South Carolina Republican Party will hold a special primary on Aug. 11 to choose a new Senate nominee, who will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.

Separately Thursday, 103 House Democrats voted to cut military aid to Israel, and two of Trump’s nominees — acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and would-be national intelligence director Jay Clayton — faced confirmation hearings. Blanche described himself as Trump’s lawyer before correcting himself, and Clayton declined to say who won the 2020 election when asked by Sen. Jon Ossoff, according to The Guardian.