Here’s how SC’s Lindsey Graham plans to help Donald Trump return to the White House
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he expects to continue to be a television surrogate for former President Donald Trump’s campaign to return to the White House, while potentially spending time in neighboring states.
Graham, a four-term Republican senator, said he could help Trump’s campaign in North Carolina, a state the former president carried in in 2020 by less than 75,000 votes.
South Carolina’s senior senator also said Georgia, which Trump lost by less than 12,000 votes to President Joe Biden, is key to Trump’s path to 270 electoral votes. Graham expects to see a unity event with Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who previously had a frosty relationship with the former president over the 2020 election results.
Graham himself also attended a fundraiser recently in Georgia for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, according to The Hill.
“We’re putting together a team in Georgia that I think (is) going to be second to none. The dust up that Trump had with Kemp, I think they repaired that and Gov. Kemp has been all in,” Graham said Wednesday in an interview with The State before the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s annual Washington Night. “Without Georgia, it’ll be a long night. With Georgia, we’re knocking on the door.”
According to a Fox News Poll released Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris leads Trump by 2 points in Georgia, while the former president holds a 1-point edge in North Carolina.
However, the election may come down to Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes.
“I’ll be spending a lot of time with people who have an accent like I do,” Graham said. “I don’t think I’m helping much in Pennsylvania,” adding he can help in southern states.
Graham said he plans to continue to be on news programs speaking on behalf of Trump, including Sunday morning shows.
In recent weeks he’s appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and CNN’s State of the Union. On Sunday he’s planning to appear to ABC’s This Week.
“My preacher wonders what happened to me,” Graham jokes.
“The way I help the campaign, I think is a kind of network with my friends. Governor Kemp’s kind of good friend, putting together some organizations, being on TV, making the case on television, doing the air war,” Graham said. “I think I’ve become one of their go-to surrogates. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Graham, who said he plans to golf with Trump on Sunday, also briefly discussed Trump’s comment that the senator would not have won reelection if it weren’t for the former president’s endorsement.
Graham said Trump was very helpful.
“I think I had a lot of good people behind me and great organization and (a) great ground game, but President Trump’s support was much appreciated,” Graham said.
The Seneca resident said he plans to run for reelection in 2026, and at the end of June, Graham had $13.6 million in his campaign account, according to Federal Elections Commission records.
“That’s sort of trying to tend to my political backyard,” Graham said. “We’re going to be putting together our finance team here soon, and we’ll be ready to go, but right now, my big focus is helping President Trump win the White House.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 11:39 AM.
