Overview
- The South Carolina primary on Tuesday left President Donald Trump’s pick, state Sen. Darline Graham, short of an outright win and now facing a runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman, illustrating weaker endorsement returns.
- Recent polls reported Republican approval for Trump near 79 percent, a notable decline from the mid‑90s level he held earlier in his term.
- Longtime strategist James Carville said on his podcast that Trump’s hold is eroding and estimated that the influence of his endorsements is slipping by about a tenth of a point each day.
- Analysts and polls link much of the shift to Trump’s February strikes on Iran, with a Reuters/Ipsos survey finding nearly seven in ten Americans and 40 percent of Republicans say he has not clearly explained why the U.S. is fighting.
- The decline in in‑party backing and recent primary results raise fresh risks for Republicans heading into the midterms, with party leaders increasing coordination to try to limit seat losses and win over unsettled voters.