Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina did not engage in a debate with his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, after the lawmaker refused to take a COVID-19 test. The faceoff was canceled after Harrison did not wish to participate in a debate with Graham after the senator refused to take a COVID-19 before the event, which was set for this past Friday. This situation comes amidst news that President Donald Trump and several other high-ranking Republican lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks. In light of Graham and Harrison's debate being canceled, many individuals have flocked to social media to weigh in on the matter, with some questioning why Graham refused to take the test.
Instead of engaging in a debate, Graham and Harrison took part in two separate 30-minute forums on local station WSPA in Spartanburg, per The Hill. On Twitter, Graham blamed Harrison for "skipping" the debate due to his demands. He wrote, in part, "Appears @harrisonjaime is skipping tonights debate. Mr. Harrision is ducking the debate because the more we know about his radical policies, the less likely he is to win. It's not about medicine, its politics. His liberal views are a loser in South Carolina - and he knows it!" Harrison's campaign spokesperson, Guy King, responded to Graham's message by saying, "We're disappointed that Lindsey has failed to take a simple coronavirus test, but we appreciate our hosts were able to change the event format to make it safer for everyone. Jaime will be there in Spartanburg to talk to voters."
Of course, this last-minute change led to a ton of conversation online. Many users took to Twitter to address the matter, with some even starting the hashtag "#LindseyGrahamHasCovid." (It should be noted that there is nothing to indicate that Graham actually has COVID-19.)