- Lindsey Graham said Trump is “ready to move on” after his impeachment acquittal.
- Graham admitted that Trump was still “angry with some people”.
- Graham said McConnell’s speech on Saturday condemning Trump’s actions could hurt the Republican Party in 2022.
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Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of former President Donald Trump’s main allies, said on Sunday that Trump is “ready to move on” after the Senate voted to acquit the former president in his second impeachment trial.
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, the South Carolina Republican told host Chris Wallace that Trump “was grateful to his lawyers” and “he thanked us for the help we all offered”.
Graham added, “He’s ready to move on and rebuild the Republican Party. He’s excited about 2022. I’m going down to talk to him next week, to play some golf in Florida. And I said, Mr. President, this MAGA [Make America Great Again] the movement needs to continue. “
The effort to condemn Trump for “inciting insurrection” fell by a margin of 57-43. The conviction required two-thirds of the Senate or 67 votes.
Read More: Meet the little-known power player with the ‘toughest job’ on Capitol Hill. She is shaping Trump’s impeachment trial and Joe Biden’s agenda.
While Trump delights to escape yet another impeachment conviction, Graham said the former president is still “angry with some people”.
Wallace was then asked whether Trump was upset with the Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who voted for the ex-president’s acquittal, while considering him “morally responsible for causing” the US Capitol riots of January.
“I think Senator McConnell’s speech took a weight off his chest, but unfortunately it put a weight on Republicans’ backs,” said Graham. “That speech you’ll see in the 2022 campaigns. I imagine that if you’re a Republican running in Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire, where we have a chance to retake the Senate, they may be playing Senator McConnell’s speech and asking if you are a candidate. “
He added: “I think his speech is an isolated case in terms of how Republicans feel about all of this.”