Overview
- President Donald Trump will join a 5:30 p.m. tele‑rally Monday to urge South Carolina Republicans to back Sen. Lindsey Graham.
- Graham faces the real risk of falling below the state’s 50% rule, which would force a June 23 runoff and extend the intraparty fight.
- Recent polls show mixed results: a late‑May Citadel poll put Graham at 46% while Trafalgar and the Public Sentiment Institute showed him around or above 51%, leaving the outcome uncertain.
- Businessman Mark Lynch has self‑funded roughly $5 million of his challenge and is anchoring his message on opposition to Graham’s support for continued U.S. involvement in the Israel‑Iran conflict, with several ex‑administration officials endorsing Lynch.
- High early turnout, split subgroup attitudes on foreign policy, and Trump’s June 4 endorsement have together made the race unpredictable and could reshape GOP dynamics in South Carolina if a runoff happens.