Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Graham: Trump's Actions Were 'Problem' in Capitol Violence
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
January 7, 2021

Share

COLUMBIA, S.C. — One of President Donald Trump’s top congressional allies, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that the president must accept his own role in the violence that occurred at the U.S. Capitol, adding that he didn’t regret helping Trump but that the whole matter had been a “self-inflicted wound.”

“When it comes to accountability the president needs to understand that his actions were the problem not the solution,” the South Carolina Republican said Thursday during a news conference in Washington. “A good friend of mine, Rudy Giuliani, did not help.”

Graham was referencing Trump’s comments at a rally on Wednesday where thousands of the president’s supporters gathered, and where he stoked displeasure at the impending Electoral College certification vote of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over him in the 2020 election.

“If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” he said, encouraging attendees to walk down the street to the Capitol, where lawmakers had gathered for the session.

“Let the weak ones get out,” he went on. “This is a time for strength.”

Giuliani told the crowd, “Let’s have trial by combat.”

After the rally, a mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol and unleashed unprecedented scenes of mayhem in hopes of halting the peaceful transition of power. Members of Congress were forced into hiding, offices were ransacked, and the formal congressional tally of Electoral College votes was halted for more than six hours.

Graham was once a foe of Trump, even questioning his mental fitness for office. But his popularity among Republicans in his home state grew as he developed a relationship with the president, who twice won South Carolina, and where support for him remained steady throughout his term. Over time, Graham has become one of Trump’s top confidants in the Senate, helping him confirm conservative justices to the Supreme Court and a frequent partner on the golf course.

Graham Said He Had No Regrets for His Rapport With Trump but Was Disappointed in the Administration’s Closing Days

But after what he called Trump’s unconstitutional argument that Pence could overturn Biden’s victory, coupled with Wednesday’s violence, Graham — who had encouraged Trump to pursue legal challenges to the election results — said on the Senate floor that he felt objecting to the results was a “uniquely bad idea to delay this election” and that “enough is enough.”

“Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way,” Graham said. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are lawfully elected and will become the president and the vice president of the United States on January 20.”

Graham’s pledge to “work with” the Biden administration could be seen as a fulfilled prophecy by some of his former foes. Joe Reynolds, one of Graham’s 2020 GOP primary challengers, told The Associated Press late last year that conservatives were “fooling themselves” if they thought Graham would be steadfast in the event Biden won, saying Graham would be “the first one through the White House door of a Biden administration. … He’ll change his stripes in a heartbeat if it’s going to suit Lindsey Graham.”

As some have called on Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment as a possible way to oust Trump from office ahead of Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, Graham rejected the notion, saying he hoped that the president, as well as Democrats making such calls, would “turn down the rhetoric.”

“The next two weeks can begin to right the ship, depending on how the president behaves,” Graham said.

Ultimately, Graham said he had no regrets for his rapport with Trump but was disappointed in the administration’s closing days.

“It breaks my heart that my friend, a president of consequence, would allow yesterday to happen, and it will be a major part of his presidency,” he said. “It was a self-inflicted wound.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Voice of America Parent Terminates Over 600 More Staff in Likely Death Knell

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

9 hours ago

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

9 hours ago

World Leaders React to US Attack on Iran

The reaction of world leaders after U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday Iran time ranged from Israel lauding President ...

7 hours ago

Patrons of the Chapel Street Cafe watch as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. June 21, 2025. (Reuters/Dylan Martinez)
7 hours ago

World Leaders React to US Attack on Iran

The U.S. Capitol building is seen in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2023. (Reuters File)
8 hours ago

Congress Members Split Over US Attack on Iran

Emergency personnel work at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Haifa, Israel, June 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
8 hours ago

Investors Brace for Oil Price Spike, Rush to Havens After US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites

President Donald Trump gestures next to a new flagpole with the U.S. flag after disembarking Marine One upon arrival at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 21, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Mohatt)
9 hours ago

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

A wildfire dubbed the Colvin Fire broke out Saturday near Woodlake in Tulare County, burning 46 acres with 0% containment and threatening two structures, according to CalFire. (CalFire)
9 hours ago

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

10 hours ago

US B-2 Bombers Involved in Iran Strikes, U.S. Official Says

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool
10 hours ago

Trump Says Iran’s Key Nuclear Sites ‘Obliterated’ by Airstrikes

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the centerfield plaza during media prior to game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo
15 hours ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend