Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican from South Carolina, is urging former President Donald Trump to prioritize policy over personal attacks in the 2024 presidential election. Graham believes that Trump’s policy platform is strong enough to secure victory and that focusing on the personal attributes of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is a distraction.
In a recent interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Graham stated, “Donald Trump, President Trump, can win this election. His policies are good for America. And if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump, the provocateur, the showman may not win this election.” He went on to suggest that Trump should focus on issues like border security, inflation, and the economy.
Graham’s advice comes on the heels of Trump’s controversial remarks about Harris’s race and heritage, which have sparked widespread criticism. In a question-and-answer session at the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, Trump questioned Harris’s racial identity, referencing her Indian heritage and suggesting she “turned Black” in recent years. He even posted an image of Harris’s birth certificate on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Graham has also been critical of Harris’s policies and judgment, arguing that she has been wrong on key issues such as inflation and recession. “The problem I have with Kamala Harris is not her heritage, it’s her judgment,” Graham stated on “Fox News Sunday.” “She has been wrong about everything. When she tried to explain what she would do about inflation and an upcoming recession, it made no sense. It’s gibberish.”
Both Harris and Trump have been campaigning in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania. Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week. Graham’s advice to Trump highlights the growing divide within the Republican Party regarding strategy for the upcoming election. While some Republicans are urging Trump to focus on policy and unify the party, others are pushing for a more aggressive campaign strategy that targets personal attacks against the Democratic nominee.
