U.S. President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
There can be no Trump policies without Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Saturday.
Graham said there may be other “talented” people in the Republican Party.
“But there is only one Donald Trump,” Graham concluded.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said the GOP cannot reap the benefits of former President Donald Trump’s policies while electing someone else in 2024.
“How many times have you heard: ‘We like Trump policies, but we want somebody new?'” Graham said on Saturday at a Trump campaign event in South Carolina. “There are no Trump policies without Donald Trump.”
Graham went on to call the former president “strong” and “reliable,” and to say Trump made the world “a better place.”
“We live in a dangerous world right now. The good news for the Republican Party — there are many, many talented people for years to come,” Graham said.
“But there is only one Donald Trump. And I say this sincerely, you can talk about his policies, but you could not do what he did,” the senator added.
—Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) January 29, 2023
Graham’s recent display of full-throated support for Trump stands in sharp contrast to his hesitation in November. After Trump announced he would be running for president, Graham said Trump would be “hard to beat” but stopped short of endorsing him.
Despite his muted support for Trump last year, Graham has for years remained one of the former president’s staunchest allies.
This is Trump’s third presidential run. He won his race against Hillary Clinton in 2016 and lost to Joe Biden in 2020. Trump could face a challenge from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024, though DeSantis has not said if he will run.
Representatives for Trump and Graham did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.