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‘I Can’t Tell You How Devastated I Was’
Darline broke down when she got the call her brother had passed away.
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The 62-year-old was appointed to her brother’s seat following his shock death but confirmed that she’s running for a full term in November, with Donald Trump’s blessing.
And in a new interview with Fox News, Darline dubbed the aftermath of Lindsey’s death “a living nightmare.”
She said: “It was just unbelievable. It was like I was living a nightmare when I got the unexpected news.
“I can’t even tell you how devastated I was when I got the call.”
Darline then received phone calls from a whirlwind of Republican leaders — including Trump — encouraging her to replace Lindsey, who died due to a tear in his aorta, in the Senate.
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‘I Had To Carry On His Legacy’
Darline admits she needs to step up in order to continue her late brother’s work.
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“Things just started moving so fast. I got the call from the president, and the governor, (Senator) Tim Scott, just thoughtful messages, how much they respected him, true friendship,” she said.
“And then the question: would I serve?”
Darline said she was “shocked” and described politics as “Lindsey’s life, not mine, nothing I ever wanted to be.”
However, she added: “When they asked, it did not take me long, I prayed, I talked to my family. I knew that I had to step up. I had to carry on his legacy.”
Darline discussed how frequently her brother traveled across the world — especially to the Middle East and Ukraine — and how it made her “concerned about him.”
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‘Will It Be Difficult? Yes.’
Darline told Sean Hannity about the pressures of her new role.
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She said she would tell him: “It’s a lot, I want you to slow down and take care of yourself.
“I knew that he was doing what he loved, what he is passionate about, he loved serving the people of the state and serving our country.
“I just had an inner peace, if anything ever happened to him, that it would be doing what he loved.”
Darline added to Sean Hannity she had been “praying a lot” about how to navigate her new role.
She explained: “It is a tremendous amount of pressure.
“I know I’m a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey,” Darline said. “I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes.”
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Lindsey died due to a tear in his aorta.
When asked about the strange trip she’s taken toward national politics, she believes it may be fate.
“I just know that I have to trust that God has a plan. I never wanted this, this was my brother’s life, he worked so hard for the people of South Carolina and our country.
“And I was so proud of him, that if God has put me in the position, I will do it. I will take on the challenge. Lindsey was always there for me and now I feel like I have to step up and be there for him,” she added.
Darline Graham ultimately confirmed Monday she’s running for a full term to replace her late brother’s Senate seat.