An emotional Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday urged Americans not to talk about politics in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s shooting, but rather, “let’s just today be grateful that our former president, political nominee, survived an assassination attempt, and all try to do better here.”
The South Carolina Republican told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “there’s a lot of frustration on our side about the way President Trump has been treated, but I’m just grateful today that he’s alive.”
He also underscored the unprecedented nature of the shooting, asking moderator Kristen Welker, “How could this happen? How could somebody get within 130 yards of the president with a rifle?”
And as Graham expressed gratitude for Trump’s survival, he cheered the former president’s reaction in the aftermath of the shooting, calling Trump “the toughest guy, I think, I ever met. He’s the modern version of Teddy Roosevelt.”
Shortly after Graham appeared on the show, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, told Welker, “I think everybody in this country, no matter what their political views are, wishes former President Trump a rapid and speedy recovery.”
Sanders condemned political violence, telling Welker that “political violence of any kind or shape or form is unacceptable. It is un-American.”
He echoed President Joe Biden’s comments from Delaware on Saturday, where he told reporters there is “no place in America for this kind of violence,” adding: “It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country.”
Sanders also reflected on the intensity of American politics in recent weeks, telling Welker, “What a democracy is about is not radical rhetoric. What it is about is a serious discussion of where we are as a nation and how we go forward.”
“You know, in a certain way, Kristen, politics should be kind of boring,” he added.
Before Sanders’ appearance, Graham praised those on the other side of the aisle, saying he was “glad to see my Democratic colleagues are saying really good things.”
Graham added, “You know, this is a moment where America has been traumatized, and it’s good to see. ... There’ll be plenty of time to talk about politics, but today, we just all need to be grateful and mindful of how dangerous [this was].”
