President Donald Trump is urging Darline Graham Nordone to seek a full term in the Senate after stepping into the seat left vacant by her late brother, longtime South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham.

In a statement, the President revealed that he personally asked Nordone during a visit to the White House this week to enter the Republican special primary, calling her 'a spectacular person' and 'a true American patriot.'

'I asked Darline, for the good of our nation, to run for the U.S. Senate,' Trump wrote before ending his message with the emphatic rallying cry: 'RUN, DARLINE, RUN!'

Trump also promised Nordone his 'complete and total endorsement' should she decide to enter the race, saying there would be 'nobody better' to honor her brother's legacy.

His decision to back Nordone puts other South Carolina Republicans hoping to take control - including outgoing Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Congressman Russel Fry, and others - in their place. 

Following Graham's death, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Nordone to fill the remainder of the Senate term.

'Today, under the law, it is my duty and honor to name someone to serve in the place of this extraordinary man for the remainder of his term. It is my honor to ask his little sister, Darline, to finish his work.'

Before Trump's endorsement of Nordone, the Republican field for Graham's Senate seat was beginning to take shape.

Businessmen Mark Lynch and Patrick Herrmann were the only Republicans to formally announce campaigns, while higher-profile figures, including Representatives Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, Russell Fry, and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette were considering potential bids.

Trump’s surprise endorsement to appoint Nordone to serve as interim senator earlier this week quickly united several top South Carolina Republicans, with Senator Tim Scott calling her a “fantastic pick” and Rep. Nancy Mace throwing her support behind the president’s choice, calling it a “wonderful idea.”

While Nordone is a newcomer to elected office, she has spent decades in public service.

Before her appointment to the Senate, she worked with South Carolina's Vocational Rehabilitation Department, where she focused on helping people with disabilities find employment.

She also served on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and the state's Workforce Development Board, building a career centered on disability advocacy and workforce development.

Nordone spent much of her life under her older brother's wing. After both of their parents died within roughly 15 months of one another, Lindsey Graham became her legal guardian while still in his early 20s.

During his Air Force service, he later formally adopted his younger sister so she could receive military benefits—a chapter of their family's history that Graham often spoke about publicly.

Although she had never held elected office before her Senate appointment, Nordone was no stranger to the political stage.

She frequently appeared alongside Lindsey Graham during his campaigns, introduced him at the launch of his 2015 presidential bid, and often spoke about the sacrifices he made to raise her after their parents' deaths.

The battle for the Senate seat will heat up next month as a special Republican primary determines who will carry the GOP banner into November’s general election showdown against Democrat Annie Andrews.