President Trump Wants Lindsey Graham’s Sister Darline to Fill His Senate Seat After His Death

President Donald Trump is weighing in on who should take over Lindsey Graham‘s Senate seat.

President Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday, July 13, that he had “recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina.” He added, “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” in the post shared Monday, July 13.

The recommendation names Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, who according to the New York Post is Graham’s only surviving family member. Reached by phone Monday, minutes after Trump’s endorsement, she told the outlet, “Actually, I’m just kind of like devastated right now.”

The longtime South Carolina lawmaker died Saturday night, July 11, at 71, hours after returning from a trip to Ukraine. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the Instagram statement read.

As National Enquirer previously reported, preliminary findings from the D.C. medical examiner point to an aortic dissection tied to cardiovascular disease as the cause of death. A final determination remains pending additional toxicology and microscopic testing.

Tributes have poured in from both sides of the aisle, including from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 84, who called Graham “a good friend and a great American” in a statement posted to X on Sunday, July 12. “I was shocked and saddened by his passing,” McConnell wrote, adding, “His constituents and colleagues have counted on his straight talk, conviction, and boundless appetite for a worthy fight. The Senate will miss him, and Elaine and I are keeping his family in our prayers.”

McConnell’s own health has faced separate scrutiny in recent weeks. Former The View host Meghan McCain, 41, publicly pressed his office for a “proof of life” update amid his ongoing hospitalization, writing via X on Tuesday, July 7, “Senator McConnell’s staff owes it to the American public to give a real update on his health or show us some kind of proof of life. All of this is unseemly, macabre, bad for democracy and quite frankly embarrassing for the country.”

McConnell broke his silence on the speculation in a statement CSPAN posted to X on Sunday, July 12. “My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital,” he wrote, adding that he was also treated for a mild case of pneumonia while receiving care. His office’s attending physician confirmed in a statement that McConnell “has experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition” and said he “has been medically cleared to continue fully participating in his intensive physical therapy program.”

Despite the health scare, McConnell insisted he isn’t stepping back from his duties before his term ends. “I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do,” he wrote, noting he’s continued working with his legislative staff and kept in touch with Senate colleagues “on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between” throughout his recovery.

McConnell and Graham were Senate allies for more than two decades, as McConnell has held his own seat since 1985 and Graham represented South Carolina since 2003.