An emotional Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday urged Americans not to talk politics in the aftermath of the shooting of former President Donald Trump, but rather “today, let’s be thankful that our former president and political candidate survived an assassination attempt, and let’s all try to do better here.”
“While there are significant frustrations on our side about the way President Trump was treated, I’m just grateful today that he’s alive,” the South Carolina Republican said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
He also stressed that the shooting was unprecedented, asking host Kristen Welker, “How could this happen? How could someone with a rifle come within 130 yards of the president?”
Graham expressed gratitude that Trump was alive and praised the former president’s reaction after the shooting, calling him “the toughest guy I’ve ever met. He’s a modern-day Teddy Roosevelt.”
Shortly after Graham’s appearance on the show, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with the Senate Democratic caucus, told Welker, “I think everyone in this country, no matter what your political views are, wants former President Trump to have a speedy recovery.”
Sanders condemned political violence, telling Welker that “political violence of any kind, shape or form is unacceptable. It’s un-American.”
He repeated comments made by President Joe Biden in Delaware on Saturday, when he told reporters that “there is no place in America for this kind of violence,” adding, “This is sick. This is sick. This is one of the reasons we have to unite this country.”
Sanders also reflected on the intensity of recent weeks in American politics, telling Welker, “Democracy isn’t about extreme rhetoric. It’s about having serious discussions about where we are as a nation and how we move forward.”
“Kristen, in some ways, politics is supposed to be boring,” he added.
Before Sanders’ appearance, Graham praised the opposing side, saying he was “pleased to see my Democratic colleagues saying some really good things.”
Graham added, “This is a traumatic moment for America, and it’s good to see that. … We’ll have plenty of time to talk politics, but today we all need to be grateful and mindful of how dangerous it is.” [this was].”
