“Sen. Lindsey Graham told ‘Axios on HBO’ that Donald Trump has a ‘dark side’ but he tries to ‘harness the magic’ because he succeeded where Republican candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney failed. The South Carolina Republican gyrates between support and criticism of the former president, even after Trump harshly criticized McCain – Graham’s longtime friend – and helped spark the Capitol insurrection. ‘What I’m tryin’ to do is just harness the magic,’ Graham told Axios’ Jonathan Swan. ‘To me, Donald Trump is sort of a cross between Jesse Helms, Ronald Reagan and P.T. Barnum.’ ‘He could make the Republican Party something that nobody else I know can make it. He can make it bigger. He can make it stronger. He can make it more diverse. And he also could destroy it,’ Graham said.”
“‘Donald Trump was my friend before the riot. And I’m trying to keep a relationship with him after the riot. I still consider him a friend. What happened was a dark day in American history, and we’re going to move forward.’ ‘I want us to continue the policies that I think will make America strong. I believe the best way for the Republican Party to do that is with Trump, not without Trump.’ ‘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'” – Axios.