Lindsey Graham Digs In on ‘Trump-Plus’ as Future of GOP, Talks Up Lara Trump Senate Run, Swipes at Nikki Haley

Back in 2016, Senator Lindsey Graham (R- SC) infamously tweeted, “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…….and we will deserve it.”

If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…….and we will deserve it.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 3, 2016

Now, in February 2021, with Democrats holding the White House and both chambers of Congress, Graham thinks that “Trump-plus” is the best way for the party to win in 2022 and beyond.

Graham spoke with Chris Wallace and recounted his post-trial conversation with Trump, saying, “I said, Mr. President, this MAGA movement needs to continue. We need to unite the party. Trump-plus is the way back in 2022.”

Wallace brought up Mitch McConnell’s speech that excoriated Trump for inciting the mob in very harsh terms, even though McConnell voted to acquit.

Graham said McConnell’s words may hurt Republicans in two years and tried to call them “an outlier” within the GOP.

Wallace directly asked Graham if Trump bears any responsibility for the attack on the Capitol.

Graham only said Trump “bears responsibility of pushing narratives about the election that I think are not sound and not true.”

Wallace walked through some details of Trump’s actions on January 6th — actions confirmed by other Republicans — and asked Graham what it tells him about Trump’s state of mind during the riots.

Graham shrugged it all off as “hearsay.”

Wallace even showed video of Graham chiding Trump for his irresponsible actions on January 7th, but in response Graham just stuck to defending the former president and said his speech “didn’t cause the riot.”

And to make clear he believes Trump is the future of the GOP, Graham talked up a Lara Trump Senate run and swiped at Nikki Haley for saying Republicans can’t follow Trump again.

Graham reiterated “we need Trump-plus” and said Haley’s “wrong about President Trump.”

One of the Republicans who voted to convict Trump was North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, and this is what Graham had to say in response:

“North Carolina, the biggest winner I think of this whole impeachment trial is Lara Trump. My dear friend Richard Burr… just made Lara Trump almost the certain nominee for the Senate seat in North Carolina to replace him if she runs.”

You can watch above, via Fox News Sunday.