Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a strong endorsement of South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s reelection campaign, tying his support to Graham’s backing of the proposed Save America Act ahead of South Carolina’s Republican primary.
In a Truth Social post, the president praised Graham for advancing the legislation and urged GOP voters to support the longtime senator in Tuesday’s election.
“I’d like to thank our GREAT Senator, Lindsey Graham, for putting up THE SAVE AMERICA ACT for a Vote today,” he wrote.
The president highlighted several provisions he said were in the bill, such as voter identification and citizenship verification requirements.
President Trump said the legislation would require that “ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PHOTO I.D. (IDENTIFICATION!)” and that “ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP.”
According to the statement, the measure would also limit mail-in voting to cases involving “ILLNESS, DISABILITY, MILITARY, OR TRAVEL.”
The proposal additionally includes provisions related to transgender issues in athletics and health care. Trump said the bill would bar male-born athletes from participating in women’s sports and would prohibit “TRANSGENDER MUTILIZATION SURGERY FOR OUR CHILDREN.”
The endorsement reinforced the political alliance between President Trump and Graham, who has remained one of the president’s closest Republican allies in the Senate on issues including judicial confirmations, foreign policy and election legislation. He left no uncertainty about his support in the race.
“This Tuesday, June 9th, all Republicans in South Carolina should vote for Lindsey Graham,” Trump wrote.
He added that Graham “HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT, AND WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
President Trump’s endorsements have continued to carry major influence in Republican primaries. Recent Trump-backed candidates have scored several high-profile victories against establishment Republicans and GOP critics.
Following the endorsement, Graham thanked Trump in a post on X.
“Mr. President, I was honored to lead the charge to pass the SAVE America Act, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation you and your team have created,” Graham wrote.
“Again Mr. President, thank you for your support and endorsement of my reelection,” he added.