A Trump Endorsement Matters, but It Isn’t Magic

Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, won South Carolina’s special GOP Senate primary election on Tuesday, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent. The election is likely the last major competitive GOP primary of 2026, and it has prompted plenty of takes that President Donald Trump has regained his mojo over Republican primary voters after a string of losses. John McCormack is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he was Washington correspondent at National Review and a senior writer at The Weekly Standard. When John is not reporting on politics and policy, he is probably enjoying life with his wife and daughters in northern Virginia or having fun visiting family in Wisconsin. More We Think You’d Like