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Donald Trump blasted Lindsey Graham on Monday, arguing the senator’s outspoken conservative stance in favor of strict abortion limits is politically disastrous for Republicans.
The South Carolina senator had “respectfully” disagreed with Trump’s stance, announced Monday morning, that abortion limits should be left up to individual states. Graham reiterated his own support for a controversial 15-week ban — illustrating rare daylight between the two men, who started off as political rivals but became close allies during Trump’s presidency.
“Many Good Republicans lost Elections because of this Issue, and people like Lindsey Graham, that are unrelenting, are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, shortly after Graham issued his statement.
Graham specifically asserted the notion of leaving abortion decisions to the states was wrong. He vowed to continue pursuing a national minimum standard limiting care after 15 weeks of a pregnancy — a bill that conservatives applauded when the South Carolinian introduced it last term but was panned as politically unhelpful by many Republicans, given it had no chance of passing Congress.
And in the Capitol hallways Monday afternoon, Graham was undeterred by Trump’s attacks on him. He argued his position opposing abortions after 15 weeks is broadly popular but declined to directly address Trump’s personal hits.
“We should draw a line,” Graham said in a brief interview. “I believe what I believe. … The idea of the Republican Party abandoning the opposition to late-term abortion, I think would be a mistake, because most Americans oppose late-term abortion.”
Asked if he would once again introduce his 15-week abortion ban, Graham replied: “We’ll talk about that.” He clarified that he did support in-vitro fertilization, as well as exceptions for abortions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life with the mother. And the South Carolinian added that he took some solace in the fact that Trump’s statement did not explicitly threaten a veto of legislation like his.
“I think he's been a good pro-life president. We'll see,” Graham said.
Unlike the GOP senator, Trump wasn’t afraid to get more personal in his critiques, over a series of social media posts. The former president said “I blame myself for Lindsey Graham” and urged the South Carolina Republican and Marjorie Dannenfelser — the president of leading anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, who had also expressed disappointment with Trump’s stance — to study the Constitution.
“When they do, they should proudly get on with helping Republicans to WIN ELECTIONS, rather than making it impossible for them to do so!” Trump wrote in another post.
Graham and Trump have been close allies — and frequent golfing buddies — in recent years, but they enjoy a complicated history. Back in 2016, when the South Carolinian was fresh off an unsuccessful presidential bid, argued Republicans should have “kicked him out of the party” and described Trump as a “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” in December 2015.
In the hours following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Graham took to the Senate floor to say “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey” but “all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”
More recently, though, the former president defended last summer Graham amid a hostile crowd in South Carolina, saying the senator is “there when you need him” amid a chorus of boos from rally-goers.
Other Republicans had Trump’s back on his abortion stance, though they argued his announcement wouldn’t have much of an effect on lawmakers.
“As a practical matter, I don't see 60 votes for a national standard,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is running to be the next Senate GOP leader, said in a brief interview. “Everybody's entitled to their opinion, but I think I agree with President Trump.”
Ursula Perano contributed to this report.
