Lindsey Graham just survived another primary challenge, and Donald Trump is already taking a victory lap. Tucker Carlson isn’t buying it, and neither is the guy who just dropped out.
Paul Dans, the architect of the controversial conservative blueprint known as Project 2025, ended his bid to challenge Graham in South Carolina’s Republican primary on Friday, the last day to remove his name from the June ballot.
Trump got to the credit first, as usual. “It all started to fall apart for Paul when a very Low IQ individual named Tucker Carlson ENDORSED him – THE KISS OF DEATH!” he wrote on Truth Social. “Lindsey has a BIG lead, and is on his way to a spectacular VICTORY because he just, GETS THINGS DONE!” Graham screen-shotted the post and shared it on X within the hour.
Thank you for your support, President @realDonaldTrump.
With your endorsement, I will not let the great people of South Carolina down! pic.twitter.com/Xub2X21ieY
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 10, 2026
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That narrative did not stick.
“My good friend @TuckerCarlson’s endorsement, which was an honor to receive, had nothing to do with it,” Dans wrote, addressing Trump by name. “I did it because we cannot Make America Great Again until Lady Graham is taken out of office.” He went on to back appliance store owner Mark Lynch and pledged to support his campaign going forward.
Mr. President I am glad the people of South Carolina have finally got someone’s attention in DC. Lord knows we need it. Our roads are ranked the worst in the nation, and our schools aren’t doing much better. I have always supported @POTUS since the moment he walked down the… pic.twitter.com/rn6ldpl9B9
— Paul Dans for US Senate (@DansForSenate) April 10, 2026
Before stepping aside, Dans had built his campaign around attacking Graham’s foreign policy record, labeling him a warmonger and part of “the headwaters of the swamp,” while casting him as a long-time interventionist who drained public resources.
The campaign launched with energy and a Carlson endorsement, but financial reality caught up. His latest filings showed roughly $63,000 more in debt than cash on hand. The calendar and the balance sheet pointed in the same direction.
Trump did not stop at Dans. He went after Lynch too, calling him “a LUNATIC” who supports “perhaps the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie.”
Lynch, for his part, is not going anywhere. Steve Bannon, who has called Graham the “slimiest Republican” and criticized his Iran war push, appeared Lynch on his podcast this week and reminded South Carolina voters that if Graham does not clear 50% of primary votes, the race goes to a runoff. In that scenario, anti-incumbent support could consolidate.
All of this sits within a larger divide.
The Iran war has exposed fractures inside the MAGA coalition, particularly between figures like Carlson and Dans, who opposed the conflict, and Graham, who backed it aggressively. Trump’s decision to align with Graham placed him firmly on one side of that split, a move that has not landed cleanly with parts of his base.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
