President Donald Trump called the Iran war a "little detour" and touted economic success on Aug. 21 at a Make America Great Again rally in support of North Carolina senate candidate, Sen. Darline Graham.
"With all the good news, I said, I hate to do this, but we're going to have to take a little detour down to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we're going to have to put out the nuclear weapon stuff because they're going to have a nuclear weapon, and we cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
The president appeared alongside South Carolina candidate Graham, who will face challenger U.S. Rep Ralph Norman on Tuesday, Aug. 25 in a runoff primary. Graham's brother, the late former Sen. Lindsay Graham, originally won the primary, but he died in July, and his sister was appointed by the state's governor – at the recommendation of Trump – to complete the the current term and now seeks reelection.
Trump told the Myrtle Beach crowd that shortly before he launched military action in Iran – which started in Feb. 28, 2026 – he visited Iowa where he saw gas prices as low as $1.85 and $1.95 a gallon. According the U.S. Energy Information Administration data reviewed by USA TODAY, February 2026 U.S. weekly conventional retail prices for regular gasoline ranged between $2.74 to $2.79 per gallon. In the Midwest region, prices were slightly lower, ranging from $2.62 to $2.65, and while Iowa price points were not specifically listed, neighboring state Minnesota was, where February data revealed weekly prices ranging $2.66 to $2.70.
"As soon as we're finished with the Islamic Republic of Iran, as soon as we're finished, oil is going to be down at lower than it was even just a little while ago," Trump said. "We had it down to for your cars. We had it down to a hundred."
For months, Trump has doubled down on messaging that the economy is overperforming, while economic indicators point to the opposite. The president's approval rating remains low, while Americans site economic concerns as a top issue in recent polling. Still, he told the South Carolina crowd that their 401k retirement accounts "are much higher," beefprices are "now coming down very rapidly" and that he inherited "the worst inflation" and an affordability "disaster" from his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Trump's night in South Carolina
Trump took the stage to thunderous applause from the audience around 7 p.m. He talked for about an hour and a half, stressing that Graham's win is essential to delivering on conservative priorities in Congress, and said he sees supporting Graham as a way to honor her brother Lindsey.
"This is the easiest race that I've ever seen," Trump said. "We have a great candidate."
Trump's speech at times strayed from the South Carolina Senate race, and he remarked on the construction of a new ballroom at the White House, immigration at the Mexico border, crime in Washington, D.C., and the war in Iran. He also condemned the election of progressive Democrats and democratic socialists in this year's primaries, framing the election results as a radicalization of the party.
He called Charleston Democrat Annie Andrews, who won the Democratic Senate primary, a "far left political hack."
"We have to get Darline, and other people, elected," Trump said.
A slew of South Carolina Republican politicians also spoke at the rally in support of Graham, including Sen. Tim Scott, U.S. Rep. Russell Fry and Cody Simpson, the Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for agriculture commissioner.
In a state where 58% of voters supported Trump in 2024, an endorsement from President Trump can help boost a candidate's campaign momentum ahead of an election. Pam McMahon, a Myrtle Beach resident who attended Graham's campaign rally, said she is currently undecided on a Senate candidate, but the president's endorsement will influence her decision.
McMahon said she wants a candidate who is "someone with conservative values, someone that's going to speak up for South Carolina, and someone who's going to make America great again along with Trump."
Graham accepted the president's accolades at the event and said the president's endorsement "meant the world" to her.
"I am proud to stand with you to work hard for this country," Graham said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump calls Iran 'little detour,' and touts economy in South Carolina
