Senator Lindsey Graham told “Axios on HBO” that Donald Trump has a “dark side,” but he is trying to “use the magic” because he succeeded where Republican candidates such as John McCain and Mitt Romney failed.
Why it matters: Republican South Carolina is running between support and criticism of the former president, even after Trump sharply criticized McCain – Graham’s old friend – and helped fuel the Capitol uprising.
- “What I’m trying to do is just use the magic,” Graham said to Axios’ Jonathan Swan. “To me Donald Trump is sort of a cross between Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan and PT Barnum.”
- “He could make the Republican Party something that no one else I know can make it. He can make it bigger. He can make it stronger. He can make it more diverse. And he can also destroy it,” Graham said.
The big picture: Graham won reelection in one of the most expensive political races in US history in November. That helps explain his embrace of Trump, wildly popular with the Republican base, but also confuses those who wonder why he stays with him.
- In 2016, competing for the GOP’s presidential nomination, Graham questioned Trump’s mental fitness.
- After Trump defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton, Graham embraced the new president, despite criticizing his former sidekick McCain for becoming a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
- The day after the siege of the Capitol, Graham blamed Trump for fueling the attack, stating, “Enough is enough.”
- Now Graham says he is returning purposefully.
What they say: “Donald Trump was my friend before the riot. And I try to maintain a relationship with him after the riot. I still consider him a friend. What happened was a dark day in American history, and we’re moving forward. “
- “I want us to continue with policies that I think will make America strong. I think the Republican Party can do best with Trump, not without Trump.”
- ‘Mitt Romney didn’t do it. John McCain didn’t do it. There is something about Trump. There is a dark side and there is some magic. ‘
Flashback: When Swan noted that Trump is unrepentant about his election challenge and still claims he won in a landslide, Graham appealed to McCain.
- “I tell (Trump) every day that he wants to listen that I think the main reason he probably lost in Arizona is to beat the dead man named John McCain,” the senator said.