Former President Donald Trump asserted that the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's denunciation of him on the Senate floor after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot constituted "one bad moment" that the South Carolina Republican later retracted.
"He had one bad moment, and that was on the Jan. 6 thing when he stood up [and said], ‘All right, now I’ve had it. That’s it. I can’t do it anymore,'" Trump said in a phone interview Monday with "Fox & Friends."
Trump claimed Graham called him about 40 minutes later, saying, “Did I really say that? I can’t believe it. And he took it back.”
Graham, 71, who died suddenly Saturday from an apparent aortic dissection, had appeared to distance himself from Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol, disrupting the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 Electoral College victory. At the time, Graham stated, “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough."
However, by May 2021, Graham had publicly realigned himself with Trump, telling reporters, “Can [Republicans] move forward without President Trump? The answer is no. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him."
Trump recalled his friendship with Graham, noting that Graham had been a rival for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, during which Graham warned that nominating Trump would lead to the GOP being "destroyed." Trump added that Graham's remarks after the Capitol riot meant he rated their relationship a "99 instead of a 100."