President Donald Trump remembered the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends, praising the longtime lawmaker as a dedicated public servant while also recalling what he described as Graham’s “one bad moment” following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Graham died Saturday after returning from a trip to Ukraine. Preliminary reports indicated the cause was an aortic dissection resulting from heart disease.
Speaking by phone with Fox News, Trump reflected on Graham’s career and personal friendship with the South Carolina senator, describing him as a “workaholic” and a “great guy.” The president also reminisced about the many rounds of golf they played together, joking about Graham’s average performance on the golf course.
During the interview, Trump shifted into a broader discussion about voter fraud and his proposed Save America Act, saying Graham had supported the legislation. From there, the president turned to Graham’s remarks in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, when the senator told Congress, “enough is enough.”
Trump characterized those comments as the lone blemish on Graham’s record in his eyes.
“He had one bad moment, that was the January 6 thing when he stood up, ‘Alright, now I’ve had it, that’s it, I can’t do it anymore.’ And then he called me 40 minutes later and said, ‘Did I really say that? I can’t believe it!’ and he took it back,” Trump said.
The president said he viewed the episode as an isolated incident during Graham’s long political career.
“So I give him 99 instead of 100, a lot of people are 100, but he had that one little moment,” Trump said.
Trump continued discussing the senator’s speech, saying he remembered Graham declaring that he had reached his limit.
“It was sort of funny, when he goes- did you see it, by the way?” Trump said. “He goes, ‘Now I’ve had it.’ He was just, it was too much for him. He said, ‘This is it, I’ve had it!’”
The president then addressed the events surrounding Jan. 6, saying he did not bear responsibility for what happened.
“I had nothing to do with that, by the way, just so you understand, and people got terribly destroyed because of that, they did absolutely nothing wrong, I was very proud to give everybody a pardon,” Trump said.
Returning once again to Graham, Trump said the senator regretted his comments shortly after making them.
“But Lindsey goes up and he goes, ‘Now I’ve had it, that’s it’ – that was his only bad moment. He said, I wish I never said it about 45 minutes later, he called he said, ‘I made a big mistake, what do I do?’” Trump said.
The president concluded by reiterating that, despite that episode, he viewed Graham’s legacy favorably.
“So I give him a 99.9 instead of 100, you know? That’s one of those things,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks came as he reflected on the life and career of the South Carolina Republican, who evolved from one-time political rival to one of the president’s closest allies over the course of their years working together.
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