Trump Attacks Annie Andrews With Anti-Trans Slur In South Carolina Race

President Trump launched a sharp attack against South Carolina Senate candidate Annie Andrews. He used an anti-trans slur in a post on Truth Social to support Republican incumbent Darline Graham Nordone. The President called Andrews “Annie ‘Trannie’ Andrews” while urging voters to back Graham Nordone next month.

Trump began his post by stating, “Annie ‘Trannie’ Andrews is running against our wonderful Darline Graham for the Senate in South Carolina.” He repeated the slur twice more in the same message. According to the New York Post, the President wrote that Andrews is not for South Carolina. He claimed she supports policies like open borders and defunding the police.

Trump praised Graham Nordone as a “High Quality person, maybe the Highest.” He contrasted her with Andrews, whom he said does not represent the values of the state. “Trannie is not for South Carolina, and South Carolina must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her,” Trump wrote. The Post noted Andrews is a pediatrician who is not transgender.

Andrews did not respond directly to the slur in a new post. She focused her message on patients and families instead. “If you care more about your bills than the politics in Washington, this campaign is for you,” she wrote. Former South Carolina Governor David Beasley called the President’s comments “abhorrent.” He told voters that elections do not need to rely on cruelty.

The race remains tight despite the attack. Per the Washington Examiner, recent polls show Graham Nordone leading Andrews by a small margin. The two candidates are scheduled to debate on October 11. Graham Nordone is defending the seat her late brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, once held. She was appointed after his death in July.

Andrews has publicly stated she opposes transgender surgeries for children. She also opposes transgender athletes in women’s sports. Despite this, the Republican campaign launched a website targeting her on these issues. Andrews declined to define a woman in a recent interview. She said she does not think there is a place for that conversation in a Senate race.

Other members of the Trump administration have used similar language recently. War Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that “no trannies” are welcome in the military during a recent address. The Washington Examiner reported this happened in his “State of the Force” speech last week. The debate over gender identity continues to shape this South Carolina contest.

Andrews is trying to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1998. The latest RealClearPolitics polling average shows a very close race. Graham Nordone leads by just 2.4 percentage points. The upcoming debate on October 11 will be a key moment for both candidates.