'I’m not on national security': Darline Graham faces criticism for response during debate against Ralph Norman

Darline Graham Nordone faced widespread criticism for a response during her debate with Ralph Norman ahead of the runoff election in South Carolina. When asked about China, Taiwan and U.S. strategic interests, the acting senator said that national security was not her area of expertise. The remark quickly went viral on social media and soon drew criticism from both sides.

On Aug. 11, the acting senator and the representative advanced to a runoff election to determine the Republican nominee for the Senate. Graham Nordone received 32% of the vote, compared to Norman's 26%. The two will face off head-to-head on Aug. 25.

Last Tuesday, both candidates participated in the first pre-election debate. Although they discussed a variety of topics, the most talked-about moment was Graham Nordone's response to the following question from moderator Greta Van Susteren: "Senator, are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States? If so, why?"

"I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not on national security, I’m not that informed on national security, so — but I do support the military. My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years, so I will do everything I can to support the military. My dad was in the Army. I’m not a polished politician up here, national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise. But I do support the military," Graham Nordone replied.

Seconds later, Rep. Norman answered the question as follows: "Taiwan's a definite ally. And, you know, we we have a trading relationship with them that is beneficial to The United States. ... So what what the president is doing right is he's enabling Taiwan to defend themselves against China."

He also stated that China would have already taken action against Taiwan if the Oval Office were currently occupied by a Democratic president.

After the debate, the senator clarified her remarks in the press room, where she maintained that the priority must be the people of South Carolina.

Barrage of criticism aimed at Darline Graham after the debate

After the debate, various Democratic and Republican voices criticized Graham for her viral response during the debate.

One of the criticisms came from Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and former 2024 presidential candidate. "Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security. Darline Graham admits she’s not. This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate," wrote the Republican on X.

Shermichael Singleton, a Republican political strategist and commentator, believes the senator missed a great opportunity to skillfully sidestep the question.

"She [Graham Nordone] talked a lot about affordability. To me, if I were preparing her for this debate, I would have said, look, if this question comes up, this is a great moment for you to pivot to say, 'Look, the American people are worried about the billions of dollars we’re spending across the globe when they’re struggling here at home.' ... That would have been a brilliant pivot. But instead, we got what we saw, which I thought was a terrible mistake," he said on CNN.

"This honestly should be disqualifying," wrote David Axelrod, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama.

Conservative host Megyn Kelly echoed Axelrod's sentiments: "I’m sorry. I know she’s just pinch-hitting, but that’s disqualifying, is it not? ... I’m mortified by that answer. It’s not really, exactly her fault, although she did accept the appointment," she continued.