Lindsey Graham booed in his home state during Donald Trump’s victory speech

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was met with loud boos from a crowd in his home state when Donald Trump mentioned him during his victory speech after being declared the projected winner of the South Carolina Republican primary.

The Associated Press and CNN called South Carolina’s Republican primary for Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, the moment polls closed across the state at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Trump took the stage roughly 10 minutes after the polls closed to give a speech celebrating his projected victory over former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who also served as a state representative and governor of the Palmetto State.

The MAGA leader was flanked on stage by multiple high-profile supporters, including South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Sen. Tim Scott and Graham.

During his victory speech, Trump introduced Graham and described the Republican senator as “a little bit further left than some people on this stage.” Loud boos erupted from the crowd and continued as Trump attempted to calm and quiet his supporters.

“No, no. Remember, I love him, he’s a good man,” Trump said as the boos continued. “Come up here Lindsey.”

The crowd continued shouting and heckling Graham as the senator went up to the podium to speak briefly.

“America, the nightmare you are facing is just about over,” Graham said, eliciting some cheers but also audible boos.

Trump quickly returned to the microphone and continued with his speech.

Newsweek reached out via email on Saturday to Graham’s representatives for comment.

A roughly 40-second video of the crowd’s hostile reaction to Graham was shared on X, formerly Twitter.

Acyn, a Senior Digital Editor for progressive media outlet MeidasTouch, shared the video and wrote: “Wow Lindsey Graham is being booed relentlessly at the Trump victory speech in South Carolina.”

While the reason Graham elicited boos from the crowd is unclear, Saturday wasn’t the first time that the senator was booed in his home state, which he has represented in the U.S. Senate since 2003.

During a speech in Summerville in September, Trump praised Graham and as soon as the former president mentioned the senator by name, the crowd began booing.

“Another man who’s always there, I tell you what, when I need help on the left, he’s great,” Trump said during the September speech. “And he’s my friend, too, Lindsey Graham. Wherever you are, Lindsey, thank you.”

After being cut off by boos, Trump countered: “Oh, no, no, he helps me on the left. We need help sometimes.”

In July, Graham was booed while delivering a speech at a Trump rally in Pickens. The senator was one of the guest speakers at the MAGA leader’s campaign stop and several videos that circulated on X show loud booing broke out when Graham was called up to the stage. He waved to the crowd and repeatedly said “Thank you all for coming” as the booing continued.