Senator Lindsey Graham told “Axios on HBO” that Donald Trump has a “dark side,” but tries to “take advantage of the magic” because he was successful when Republican candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney failed.
Why it’s important: The South Carolina Republican turns between supporting and criticizing the former president, even after Trump harshly criticized McCain, Graham’s lifelong friend, and helped provoke the Capitol insurrection.
- “What I’m trying to do is take advantage of the magic,” Graham told Jonathan Swan of Axios. “To me, Donald Trump is kind of a cross between Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan and PT Barnum.”
- “It could make the Republican party something that no one else I know can do. It can make it bigger. It can make it stronger. It can make it more diverse. And it could also destroy it,” Graham said.
The big picture: Graham won re-election in November in one of the most expensive political races in American history. This helps explain Trump’s hug, which is very popular among the Republican base, but it also confuses those wondering why he stays with him.
- In 2016, when competing for the GOP presidency nomination, Graham questioned Trump’s mental form.
- After Trump defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton, Graham hugged the new president, though he criticized his former comrade McCain for being a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
- The day after the siege of the Capitol, Graham blamed Trump for fueling the attack and said, “That’s enough.”
- Now, Graham says he’s getting involved on purpose again.
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 let’s move forward.”
- “I want us to continue the policies that I think will make America strong. I think the best way to do that is with Trump, not without Trump.”
- “Mitt Romney didn’t. John McCain didn’t. There’s something about Trump. There’s a dark side and there’s a bit of magic.”
Flashback: When Swan noted that Trump shows no remorse for his election challenge and still argues that he won in a defeat, Graham invoked McCain.
- “Every day I tell (Trump) that he wants to hear that I think the main reason he probably lost to Arizona is to beat the guy named John McCain,” the senator said.