Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Darline Graham, the newly appointed Republican senator from South Carolina, in the Oval Office at 9:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, July 16th, 2026. Darline Graham was sworn in to temporarily fill the Senate seat following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away on Saturday night at age 71 after a "brief and sudden illness."

Graham was appointed on Tuesday by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to serve the remainder of her brother's term, which ends on January 3rd, 2027. With Trump's backing, she pledged to support the president and continue her brother's efforts on behalf of South Carolina and the United States, stating, "I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way."

Separately, Trump plans to deliver a primetime speech focused on election security, renewing attention to his ongoing complaints about voting systems and election administration. The White House is reportedly considering whether the president's remarks will include sensitive intelligence related to China's intentions or capabilities to interfere in the 2020 US election, according to a Reuters report citing four sources. However, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, "The truth is, nobody knows yet what president Trump will ultimately say."

In other developments, the US Treasury Department announced that the US Mint has begun producing a new commemorative $1 coin featuring Donald Trump as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.

Additionally, 103 House Democrats voted to cut military aid to Israel amid increasing accusations within the party that Israel's government carried out genocide in Gaza. Lawmakers Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna introduced a sequel to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would allow state officials, victims, and members of Congress to sue the attorney general over withheld records related to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Sources: Guardian US

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