Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-N.Y.) became visibly emotional on Sunday when asked what message he wanted to send to former President Trump in the wake of the assassination attempt.
Graham, an ally and friend of Trump, appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” when he was asked what he would say to Trump if he could speak to the former president, who is currently recovering from an apparent gunshot wound at his Bedminster, New Jersey, home.
“I’m thankful you weren’t hurt more severely and I love you,” Graham said.
Graham also had another message for all Americans: “For the sake of our country, we are going to have to do some soul-searching as a nation.”
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Graham said he wanted to tell Trump “I love you” following the assassination attempt. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump had just begun to speak at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening when a gunman on a roof nearby fired several shots toward the stage.
Secret Service agents rushed onto the stage and surrounded the former president, who collapsed to the floor. A few minutes later, a bloody Trump rose to his feet and was escorted off the stage with his fist pumped in the air. Graham called it an “iconic moment in American history.”
Trump was surrounded by Secret Service agents and raised his fist after he was shot and killed at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“Fate intervened, the hand of God intervened, I don’t care what you want to call it,” Graham said, recalling the moment Trump pumped his fist onstage. “I think this guy is the toughest man I’ve ever met. A modern-day Teddy Roosevelt.”
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Graham said he had long been “concerned” that something like this would happen, because the rhetoric criticizing President Trump was “so extreme.”
Trump had just begun speaking at the rally when shots rang out. (Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid)
“Democracy won’t end if he wins. He’s not a fascist,” Graham said. “He represents a viewpoint shared by millions of people. His rhetoric is just too extreme.”
Graham also recalled the life of a man in the crowd who was killed during the rally.
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“His life is over and others have been hurt,” the senator said. “The perpetrators must be held accountable, but let’s all strive to do better.”
