Not only did former President Donald Trump survive a second attempt at convicting him on impeachment charges, but he is still at the center of the Republican Party, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Fox News Sunday.
“The Trump movement is alive and well,” Graham said. “All I can say is the most potent force in the Republican Party is President Trump. We need Trump-plus.”
Graham also criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for stating the former president played a role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“He got a load off his chest, obviously,” Graham said. “But unfortunately, he put a load on the back of Republicans. That speech you will see in 2022 campaigns.”
The Boston Globe reported that the two GOP members reflect a divide in the Party:
The South Carolina senator’s comments reflect the internal struggle facing the party after a minority of Republican senators sided with Democrats on Saturday and voted to convict Trump of inciting supporters to breach the Capitol, clash with police, and interfere with the certification of his election defeat by the Senate.
Trump’s level of support among the GOP base will help determine his future role in the party. Graham said there’s no question Republicans need to work with Trump to win future elections and that he’ll be meeting him in Florida “next week.”
“We can’t do it without him,” Graham said.
Graham also said Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law who is married to his son Eric Trump, could run for Richard Burr’s Senate seat in 2022. Burr voted to convict Trump and was censured by the GOP in North Carolina but plans to retire at the end of his term.
“I think she represents the future of the Republican Party,” Graham said.
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