Washington — President Donald Trump secured two crucial victories on Tuesday when his favored candidates won Republican runoffs in South Carolina and Oklahoma, according to projections from CNN and NBC, reinforcing his assertion that he still commands significant influence over the party’s base.
In South Carolina, Senator Darline Graham defeated veteran congressman Ralph Norman, according to projections from CNN and NBC. Trump had immersed himself in the contest, campaigning for Graham across the state and urging supporters to vote as if his own name appeared on the ballot.
Trump‑endorsed Mike Mazzei captured Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, defeating state Attorney General Gentner Drummond, whom the president had labeled a “fake Republican.”
The wins break a difficult stretch for Trump, whose endorsed candidates had lost ten Republican contests this cycle — six of them in the prior two weeks — while his approval ratings have declined sharply.
The outcome also serves as personal vindication for Trump, who had recently claimed his endorsements were “stronger than ever” and brushed off earlier setbacks as loyalty to candidates he knew faced uphill battles.
“I’m on the ballot,” Trump told supporters.
Trump traveled to South Carolina to campaign for Graham and held a telephone rally the night before the vote. “So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” he told supporters at a Friday rally. The Trump‑aligned MAGA Inc. political organization also spent over $827,000 on voter calls and text messages — a rare use of its reserves during this primary season.
In Oklahoma, more than $9 million has been spent on the runoff since Drummond edged out Mazzei in the June first round, according to US media. Trump has repeatedly criticized Drummond, partly because he opposed the president‑backed $4 billion aluminum smelter, claiming it would harm local land and communities. Mazzei, a wealthy former state senator, publicly backed the project shortly before receiving Trump’s endorsement.
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