'He Gets an F': Ralph Norman Blasts Donald Trump After Midterm Disaster and Warns 'They Don't Agree'

Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina's Senate race on 3 November. A week later, Republican congressman Ralph Norman gave President Donald Trump an 'F' for backing Graham, who had beaten him in the August primary.

Norman had lost to Graham in an August Republican run-off. Although he later pledged to vote for her, his criticism of Trump's endorsement resurfaced after the general election.

Asked by MeidasTouch correspondent Pablo Manríquez to grade Trump's performance in the midterms, Norman replied: 'In South Carolina, he gets an F.'

'But overall for the country, he's done well, okay,' the congressman added.

Why Norman Objected to Trump's Endorsement

When Manríquez asked Norman to explain the failing grade, the congressman blamed Trump's decision to intervene in the Republican nomination battle.

'He shouldn't have endorsed and tried to force a candidate on South Carolina,' Norman said. 'They don't agree with that.'

Norman had previously objected to the endorsement. The remarks do not establish that Trump's support caused Graham's defeat. The race also involved questions about Graham's experience and dissatisfaction with Republicans.

Graham entered the race after the reported sudden death of her brother, longtime senator Lindsey Graham, in July. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to the vacant seat on 13 July, and she was sworn in the following day.

Trump encouraged her to seek a full term and backed her against Norman. After Graham won the run-off on 25 August, the president turned his attention to Norman's earlier support for Nikki Haley during the 2024 Republican presidential contest.

'Ralph Norman had the look of a good Congressman (Not great, but good), but ruined his career when he endorsed Nikki Haley,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on 26 August.

Trump also campaigned for Graham as the November election approached.

A Republican Split That Outlasted the Primary

Norman nevertheless said he would honour his pledge to support the Republican nominee in November. That commitment had limits: he declined to campaign alongside Graham and said his relatives had reached a different decision.

'My family is not going to vote for Darline Graham,' he said during an October radio interview, according to The Hill. 'They're just not.'

Norman also made clear that his adult family members could make their own choices. His son, Warren Norman, later said he was leaning towards voting for Andrews, a paediatrician and the Democratic challenger.

Andrews won the election on 3 November, becoming the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from South Carolina since 1998. Graham remains the state's appointed senator until the new congressional term begins in January.

An Associated Press voter poll suggested that doubts about Graham's qualifications mattered. Roughly two-thirds of voters questioned her experience, and around seven in 10 of those sceptical voters supported Andrews.

For Norman, the outcome revived a dispute he had raised before voters went to the polls. Yet the result alone cannot establish whether Trump's endorsement cost Republicans the seat. It does show that a high-profile presidential intervention failed to deliver the victory his chosen candidate needed.