Politics

Oct 29, 2026 12:46 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is pushing GOP get-out-the-vote efforts with another South Carolina visit on Thursday.

Watch the rally live in the video player above.

Holding South Carolina is essential if Republicans have any hope of keeping their Senate majority. In a sign of the party's anxiety, Trump is traveling again to the state to press the party faithful to show up for Sen. Darline Graham in her unexpectedly tight race against Democrat Annie Andrews.

WATCH LIVE: 2026 midterms preview, plus your questions on voting

The trip marks the second time this month he will have visited South Carolina, a state he won by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024.

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"Big Rally in South Carolina for the wonderful Darline Graham, today," Trump posted on social media Thursday morning. "She is fantastic. Lindsey is watching, and very proud of her!!!

Senate candidate urges South Carolina voters to try a Democrat

Annie Andrews has a request for voters in South Carolina who haven't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in nearly three decades: Just give me a chance.

READ MORE: A guide to the key ballot measures voters will decide on Election Day

"Let's try something new for once," Andrews said Wednesday. "If she doesn't do what she says she's going to do, you can fire me in six years. I promise that I won't let you down, that I'm going to win you all over."

Senate races are often an afterthought in this Republican stronghold. But Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress, has mounted an unexpectedly competitive race against the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was appointed by the Republican governor to fill the remaining months of her brother's term.

Trump casts doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she wins

As the president made his way to a rally in South Carolina, he was asked whether Democratic nominee Mary Peltola would be seated to represent Alaska in the Senate if she wins.

"Well, you're going to have to see what happens," Trump responded. "It's hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run."

Republicans have made similar moves before. House Speaker Mike Johnson delayed swearing in Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona after she won a special election in 2025, preventing her from supplying the last signature needed to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files.

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Source: PBS NewsHour · By —

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Topic
Politics
Country
🇺🇸 US
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EN
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