|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
One of the most fascinating storylines of the 2026 U.S. Senate special election to fill the seat vacated by the death of the late Lindsey Graham has been the mercurial engagement of U.S. president Donald Trump.
As we previously reported, Trump’s initial reaction to Graham’s death was to signal support for one of his South Carolina loyalists – second-term U.S. congressman Russell Fry – to serve as his successor. Somewhere along the way, though, Trump’s calculus changed – and the president wound up preemptively endorsing Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone.
Many expected Fry, who was endorsed by Trump in his 2022 campaign against GOP impeachment supporter Tom Rice, to simply stand aside and make way for Nordone.
I asked the 41-year-old Surfside Beach, S.C. attorney about what really happened with Trump’s endorsement – and was surprised by how forthcoming he was with his assessment of the situation.
“I’ve always, since the endorsement when I ran for congress, enjoyed a really good relationship with the president,” Fry told FITSNews. “Impeachment was deeply personal to him, and I think the more that comes out about what happened, the more vindicated that he is on the grounds of impeachment.”
***
But while he said he’s always enjoyed a good relationship with Trump, Fry said the late senator Graham “had an outsized relationship” with him.
“If I talked to him, say, once a month or once every couple of weeks Lindsey was talking to him every day,” Fry explained. “I think (in) the early days there at least signals or indications that we might be the guy – and of course I appreciated that because, not even knowing if I was going to do it or not, it’s kind of flattering to be thought of so highly by the commander-in-chief of the United States.”
“Obviously there was a mindset change within the Graham campaign or the Graham apparatus that (they) were going to move from placeholder and temporary to ‘we’re going to run for the whole six-year term,'” Fry continued. “So I don’t know what happened in the White House or what happened in those discussions.”
Asked whether the White House expected him to stand aside, Fry said he wasn’t a part of any of those conversations either.
“I don’t know what they expected,” Fry said. “I don’t know that there was any expectation of that. I just know that (Trump) had an outsized relationship with senator Graham, and I appreciate that – I mean, they were deeply close, they talked routinely – I’m not even upset by it. I get it. I think grief is kind of one of those weird things that affects everybody.”
***
RELATED | NEW S.C. SUCCESSION POLL
***
Both Fry and Ralph Norman – another top contender in this special election – have exemplary voting records in the U.S. Congress, according to multiple conservative scorecards. During our conversation, I asked Fry what distinguished him from his delegation-mate in the race to replace Graham.
“They like that I’m younger,” Fry told us. “They like that there’s a fresh conservative energy that can go toe-to-toe with somebody like a Jasmine Crockett. They like that there might be an opportunity that you’re not just serving one term.”
Fry and I covered a lot of ground in our conversation, including the endorsement he received from Stephen Federico, whose daughter – 22-year-old Logan Hailey Federico – was murdered sixteen months ago in an apartment near the University of South Carolina by a career criminal who should have never been on the streets. Fry worked with Lindsey Graham on “Logan’s Law,” federal legislation aimed at tightening gaps in violent crime reporting.
We also discussed the criticism he’s received for seeking two offices at the same time (the seat vacated by Graham as well as his own House seat), the criticism he’s doled out to Nordone over her record and his views on the ongoing conflict with Iran.
To watch the full interview for yourself, click here.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
