Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says he threw his support behind President Trump as the House debated articles of impeachment against the President Wednesday.
During a press conference, Graham said he spoke with the President over the phone and asked how he was doing as the House nears a historic impeachment vote against Trump.
“I talked to him today. I said, ‘how you doing?'” Graham said. According to the senator, Trump replied: “Well I’m being impeached, other than that I’m doing OK.”
Trump’s Twitter feed has been ablaze in recent days, setting personal records with his output. Despite the White House saying that the President would be “working all day,” Trump posted a number of furious tweets, including most recently:
SUCH ATROCIOUS LIES BY THE RADICAL LEFT, DO NOTHING DEMOCRATS. THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA, AND AN ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2019
At the press conference, Graham narrated the words of encouragement that he said he offered the President, who Graham says is “worried about the effect [impeachment] will have on the presidency itself.”
“Listen, when you look at the last week, you’ve accomplished some things that would be a great year for any normal president,” Graham said.
Graham added that he also told Trump that despite how his “legacy is going to now include being impeached by the House, acquitted by the Senate,” he assured the President that his term will mean “more than that.”
Graham cited Trump’s success in packing the courts with his appointees.
“So Mr. President, you’ve got a lot to be proud of,” Graham said. “Take your case to the American people. But if you get a second term, I think that says a lot about the impeachment process.”
Last week, the New York Times reported that Trump has been privately fuming over the anticipated Senate impeachment trial despite boasting that he’s looking forward to it. Graham told the Times then that he warned Trump in a phone call against seeking a post-impeachment payback, and instead suggested him to “get back to being President and have a good story to tell.”
Watch Graham’s remarks below:
