WATCH: Lindsey Graham Admits Trump Has a ‘Dark Side’ But Hopes to ‘Harness the Magic’ for the Benefit of the GOP

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended his friendship with Donald Trump and the former president’s role in shaping the Republican Party’s future.

In an interview with Axios’ Jonathan Swan, Graham spoke of his intent to maintain a relationship with Trump because “I want us to continue the policies that I think will make America strong. I believe that the best way for the Republican Party to do that is with Trump, not without Trump.” This was in spite of the storming the U.S. Capitol, which Graham called a “dark day” for America after he previously declared “enough is enough.”

The former president faced the most bipartisan impeachment trial in U.S. history over the charge that he fueled the attack on Congress with false, incendiary claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Swan addressed that point by telling Graham “not only does he show no remorse, he’s still telling everyone he won in a landslide.”

“And I still tell him every day that he wants to listen that the main reason he probably lost in Arizona is beating on the dead guy called John McCain,” Graham responded.

The conversation pivoted to why Graham continues to embrace Trump now that he is no longer running for re-election to the Senate. Graham said throwing Trump under the bus was “too easy,” and it would be better to salvage the Trump movement.

Mitt Romney didn’t do it. John McCain didn’t do it. There’s something about Trump. There’s a dark side and there’s some magic there. What I’m trying to do is harness the magic. To me, Donald Trump is sort of a cross between Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan and P.T. Barnum. I mean, it’s just this bigger-than-life deal that could make the Republican Party something that nobody else I know could make it. He could make the Republican Party something that nobody else I know could make it. he could make it bigger. He could make it stronger. He could make it more diverse. And he also could destroy it.

Watch above, via HBO.