Lindsey Graham to Republicans backing Harris: "What the hell are you doing?"
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appears on "Meet the Press" in Washington on Sept. 22. Photo: William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lambasted fellow Republicans crossing party lines to support Vice President Kamala Harris Sunday, asking: "What the hell are you doing?"
Why it matters: Graham's rebuke comes as several prominent Republicans, some of whom worked in former President Trump's White House, have lined up behind the Democratic ticket, or have vowed they won't support the GOP nominee in his third quest for the presidency.
- Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who joined Harris on the campaign trail, and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, are two GOP stalwarts who ditched partisan affiliations to back the vice president, warning of dangers they believe Trump poses.
What he's saying: Graham, in a testy back-and-forth with NBC News' Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press," questioned why Republicans are supporting the candidate he considers "the most radical nominee in the history of American politics."
- Graham asked: "What are you doing? You are trying to convince me that Donald Trump's rhetoric is the danger to this country?"
- He continued: "The danger to this country is the policies of Biden and Harris ... I can't take four more years of this crap."
Zoom in: Graham was questioned about Retired U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley's characterization of Trump as "a fascist to the core" in Bob Woodward's new book, "War."
- Graham, who has previously praised Milley, said he thinks Trump's former top general is wrong.
- "General Milley, you have a right to your opinion, but I don't fear Donald Trump," Graham said. "I fear what's going on in the world today. If you want the world to stay on fire, vote for her."
Graham was repeatedly pressed on the former president's escalating incendiary rhetoric.
- Trump has suggested several times over the past days that Democrats are the "enemy from within," specifically naming Senate candidate Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) as an example of "lunatics that we have inside" and "the Pelosis" as "so sick" and "evil."
- Graham said he's not "overly impressed about the rhetoric game here" when questioned about Trump's extreme comments. "They tried to blow his head off," Graham said, referring to the July assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.
- "We are winning and going to win not because of what Donald Trump is saying, but because of what they've done for four years," Graham contended.
The bottom line: As Election Day nears, Trump has not tapered his off-script controversial comments — rather, his language has grown more erratic and hyperbolic.
- Earlier in the campaign cycle, many Republicans (Graham included) encouraged the party's nominee to stick to policy rather than personal digs.
Woodward reports in "War" that Graham told him "Trump is becoming more erratic" in the wake of his criminal court cases.
- But that advice seemed to have gone disregarded as Trump has doubled down on dark, angry — and in some cases, vulgar — dialogue.
Go deeper: How Trump keeps undermining his own strategy
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include an additional quote from Bob Woodward's "War."
