New Delhi, July 12 -- COLUMBIA, S.C. - Before Lindsey Graham's family had issued a formal statement, Donald Trump had already told a reporter he knows who should take the seat.

"It's just, you know, it's too soon." The restraint was performance. The choice, by all accounts, had already been made.

Governor Henry McMaster faces an immediate legal obligation: state law requires him to appoint a temporary replacement who will hold Graham's seat until January, when a newly elected senator is sworn in. A special Republican primary to determine that permanent successor is set for August 11, with candidate filing opening July 21, just nine days away. The compressed timeline is unusual even by South Carolina standards; the gap between a senator'...