As South Carolina leaders prepared to name an interim replacement for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, the senator’s only surviving sibling said she was still struggling to process the loss.
“Actually, I’m just kind of like devastated right now,” Darline Graham Nordone told The New York Post during a brief phone conversation Monday.
Her comments came just minutes after President Donald Trump publicly endorsed her to temporarily succeed her brother in the U.S. Senate until South Carolina holds a special election.
Calling Nordone Graham’s “wonderful sister,” Trump urged Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to give her the appointment.
“This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social.
Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the senate term.
After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country. https://t.co/7XSt7AQPlS
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) July 13, 2026
McMaster, who is responsible for naming an interim senator under South Carolina law, scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference to announce his decision.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said he supports the president’s recommendation, while noting the choice ultimately belongs to the governor.
“I have faith in Gov. McMaster that he will make the right decision, but I would support the president’s recommendation,” Wilson told The New York Post.
As the political discussion unfolded, additional details emerged about Graham’s death.
According to preliminary findings from the Washington, D.C., medical examiner’s office, Graham died after suffering a ruptured aorta associated with chronic heart disease.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the senator’s Capitol Hill residence around 8:30 p.m. Saturday following reports that he was experiencing severe chest pains. According to scanner audio cited by The New York Post, Graham later went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics performed CPR before transporting him to George Washington University Hospital, where he died.
Trump recommends Lindsey Graham’s sister fill his Senate seat https://t.co/4FZ8svrl8a
— POLITICO (@politico) July 13, 2026
