President Donald Trump has endorsed Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to serve out the remainder of her brother's term, in a move widely seen as installing a placeholder successor. However, several Republicans with ambitions for the seat have disregarded Trump's endorsement and pressed ahead with their own campaigns for the party's August nomination, setting up a contested GOP primary despite the president's intervention.

Among those defying Trump is Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who has formally announced his candidacy for the seat, revealing his run during an interview with Kayleigh McEnany. The episode underscores a degree of resistance within South Carolina's Republican ranks to Trump's attempt to shape the succession, with the primary now shaping up as a genuine contest rather than a formality.