Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) said at the final GOP primary debate to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of Congress’ most engaged members on foreign policy, that she is “not that informed on national security.”

Graham made the comments after being asked at Tuesday’s debate, which was hosted by Newsmax and South Carolina ETV and Public Radio, if she believed Taiwan and the South China Sea were national security issues for the United States. 

“I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not that informed on national security, but I do support the military,” Graham said. “My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years, so I will do everything I can to support the military. My dad was in the army. I’m not a polished politician up here. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise. But I do support the military.”

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Graham’s opponent in next week’s special election runoff, responded by describing Taiwan as “a definite ally” of the U.S. and praising President Donald Trump for “enabling Taiwan to defend themselves against China.” Norman has served in Congress for nearly a decade, and has touted his legislative experience as a strength on the campaign trail.

Shortly after the debate concluded, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has endorsed Norman in the runoff, criticized Graham for her answer.

“Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security. Darline Graham admits she’s not,” Haley wrote on X. “This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate.”

At the start of the debate, Graham said while responding to a question about the cost of living that she trusted Trump “to get the Strait of Hormuz open.” 

Asked if she supports continuing the U.S. war in Iran, Graham said, “I fully trust President Trump when it comes to the war in Iran. Forty-seven years this has been going on. Iran is the weakest they have been in 47 years. The one thing that concerns me is we cannot let them get a nuclear weapon. So I trust President Trump and everything he’s doing, I think he’s got this, and I trust him on it.”

Graham later cautioned, however, that she was not committed to supporting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran, a move that Trump has not indicated he’s considering. 

“I think we should stand with Israel. They’re one of our strongest allies, so I definitely support standing with Israel,” Graham said. “I am a little concerned about troops on the ground. I don’t know that that’s necessary just yet. I would like to make sure that we try all economic solutions before we put troops on the ground.”

Norman, meanwhile, said that while he has been supportive of the president taking out the Iranian regime and its nuclear program, he believes the administration needs to justify why it is continuing the war and said that the U.S. should end its operations against Tehran. 

“They were a severe threat, and he had the courage to do that. Now, I think that we’ve got to end it. I think that he’s going to have to tell the American people what it’s going to take,” Norman said. “If the Straits of Hormuz are still dominated by a country that’s supposed to be decimated, we’ve got to have some understanding on that because I’m not for endless wars. You win them and you get out.”

The South Carolina senator knocked Norman for voting against the National Defense Authorization Act on several occasions, which Norman responded to by pointing to his concerns about the size of the federal defense budget and the national debt. 

While discussing U.S. support for Israel, of which Lindsey Graham was one of the most prominent champions in Congress, Norman described himself as a proponent of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and vowed to continue being an ally to the Jewish state. He also praised Israel for what he characterized as its willingness to put troops on the ground in Iran to complete its military objectives. 

“Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. If you go there, that’s God’s country, and we have continued to maintain good relations,” Norman said. “The president, I think, has paid many a trip over there. You go over there, it changes you. It just does. … From what we’re hearing in Congress, they are ready, and willing and able to take out Iran if it means putting troops on the ground. They’re trained soldiers and they are true patriots. Yes, they are a friend, and we have to remain a friend.”

The South Carolina runoff between Graham and Norman is being held next Tuesday, August 25. Trump is headlining a campaign rally for Graham on Friday in Myrtle Beach.