A 24-year-old Democrat achieved a significant victory in Senator Lindsey Graham’s stronghold, securing a position in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
Keishan Scott won the seat for rural District 50 with an impressive margin of nearly 41 points over Republican opponent William Oden, based on unofficial results released on Tuesday night by the South Carolina Election Commission.
This district was previously won by then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, as reported by The Daily Beast.
“This victory is certainly not solely mine,” Scott stated in a victory speech shared on his Facebook page. “It belongs to all the residents of District 50… I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your vote of confidence.”
With this win, Scott becomes the youngest member of the South Carolina House, which is predominantly Republican. His victory was celebrated by the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin.
“As long as Trump and MAGA Republicans promote a disconnected agenda that prioritizes the interests of billionaires and strips health care from millions of Americans, they will continue to falter and lose,” DNC chairperson Ken Martin remarked in a statement.
Scott’s win occurs amid criticism directed at Graham for his recent visit to Ukraine, where some of his remarks were perceived as detrimental to President Donald Trump’s policies regarding the war-torn nation.
In a video posted on X, the senator indicated that Congress is ready to take measures against Russia, irrespective of President Trump’s stance.
Graham expressed admiration for Ukraine regarding the drone strike, stating in a post on X, “The ever-resourceful Ukraine employed innovative drone warfare strategies to effectively target Russian bombers and military resources that are responsible for the deaths of Ukrainian citizens and the devastation of their nation.”
Graham indicated that should Russia consent to a ceasefire and engage in negotiations, it would inhibit the U.S. from “playing its cards.”
This prompted former Trump strategist and current host of the War Room podcast, Steve Bannon, to vehemently criticize the senator’s actions during his trip to Kyiv.
In an interview on NewsNation’s Cuomo, Bannon charged Graham with providing Ukrainians with “false hope” by meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and suggesting that the U.S. endorses Kyiv’s significant drone assault on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, as reported by The Hill.
“We cannot allow Lindsey Graham, and especially Zelensky, to lead us into a third world war with a deep strike into Russia,” Bannon stated to host Chris Cuomo.
The comments come in response to Bannon’s previous demand for the South Carolina senator to be imprisoned due to his pro-Ukraine position—a remark that elicited significant backlash. Throughout the interview, Cuomo persistently challenged Bannon to explain his request.
“I cannot comprehend how you could advocate for the imprisonment of a U.S. senator simply because he expresses an opinion you disagree with,” the NewsNation host remarked, adding, “That appears to embody the worst aspects of the deep state and legal warfare.”
“No, it is entirely justified—what he is doing over there currently is inciting tensions. He is providing the Ukrainians with unrealistic expectations,” Bannon contended. Cuomo retorted: “However, it is not against the law.”
“He may be mistaken, but why do you advocate for his imprisonment?” Cuomo inquired.
“Two actions should be taken: Either revoke his passport and prevent his re-entry into the country, or incarcerate him upon his return,” Bannon replied, further stating, “The assault was audacious.”
“It was ingenious. However, the issue is that it entangles us in a conflict that the American public does not wish to engage in,” he continued.
Cuomo then expressed that while he did not entirely disagree with Bannon’s viewpoint, he did not concur with him on the matter of detaining Graham.
“I am merely stating that one cannot imprison individuals simply because they disagree with their statements. That is my sole argument,” he conveyed to Bannon. “I am not asserting that you are incorrect regarding the potential consequences and the associated dangers.”
