Democratic strategist: ‘Something’s going on’ when Trump ‘can only deliver 52 percent’ in South Carolina

Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha said Wednesday he expected President Trump’s endorsement of Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) to lead to a wider margin of victory for her in Tuesday’s GOP Senate runoff.

Rocha explained in an appearance on NewsNation’s “Cuomo” that he thought Graham would win but “didn’t think it would be this close” given Trump backed the senator.

She defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) by just less than 5 points in the state’s runoff, securing a spot on the general election ballot in place of her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

The GOP nominee will now face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election , with Decision Desk HQ giving the Republican an 81 percent chance to win as of Tuesday.

Rocha, who advised Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during his two unsuccessful presidential campaigns, noted that Darline Graham’s narrow runoff victory does not lead him to believe Andrews will win.

“But I am going to say something’s going on when Donald Trump can only deliver 52 percent,” he told host Chris Cuomo, while qualifying, “I get it was a special election. She’s only been running a little bit.”

The strategist also noted more than 40 percent of voters in June’s GOP primary voted for a candidate other than Lindsey Graham, an election held just more than a month before the four-term senator died of an aortic dissection .

“But Donald Trump should be getting 70, 80, 90 percent in a Republican primary,” Rocha argued.

The president hit the trail last week to stump for Darline Graham, venturing to the coastal town of Myrtle Beach, S.C. During a rally alongside the newest senator, he urged Republicans to turn out in the midterms.

“What I want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said at the time.

Graham won Horry County , where Myrtle Beach is located, by more than 46 points over Norman. The senator was also victorious in 34 of 46 counties in the Palmetto State, according to data from the South Carolina Election Commission.

The victory was seen as a significant flex by Trump after Graham made a major gaffe a week earlier on the debate state while dodging a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea.

More than 369,000 Republicans in the state cast a ballot in the runoff, accounting for roughly 12 percent of the more than 3 million total registered voters in the state, per the state election commission .

Democrats have suggested Graham’s win could give their party a chance at taking the seat, though that appears unlikely.

Conservative talk show host Mark Davis, who also appeared as a guest on Cuomo’s show, defended the GOP hopeful as being the “deep underdog” in the race “because nobody knew who she was on July 10, the day before Lindsey died.”

“For Trump to endorse her and bring her across the finish line is a major, major bit of evidence to the strength of his endorsement,” he added.