Trump backs Darline Graham in Senate runoff, discusses Iran threat and plane switch

President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Senator Darline Graham Nordone on Tuesday night, praising her strong performance in the runoff for the Republican nomination for her late brother Lindsey Graham's Senate seat. Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews that Graham had called him to thank him for his endorsement, calling her a "very good woman" with "good genetics."

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She just called me to thank me for the endorsement, and it’s great that she’s doing so well.

Trump acknowledged liking Graham's Republican rivals, describing them as supporters of his movement, but reiterated his endorsement for her. He shared that Lindsey Graham often spoke of his sister, telling Trump she was outstanding and even better than him, which he noted was difficult for the senator to admit.

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She’s a very good woman, and she’s got good genetics because she’s related to Lindsey, who is a real professional.

The president also addressed the security operation during his departure from Turkey last month, where he was moved to a different military aircraft due to a threat. Trump stated the decision was made by the Secret Service and military, and he complied with their instructions. "I do what they say," he said.

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Lindsey loved his sister more than anything else. He would tell me about his sister that she’s just outstanding. He actually said she’s better than him. That was hard for Lindsey to say.

When pressed about the threat, Trump appeared to minimize his awareness of the details, saying he receives many threats and did not ask many questions about it. He also suggested that the plane he ultimately traveled on might have been at greater risk than the one he was moved from.

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It’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do. They wanted me to go in a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say.