Lindsey Graham: Trump in '24 Could Produce Historical Political Comeback Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (Getty Images)
By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, 05 September 2022 02:50 PM EDT
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he recently told Donald Trump that 2024 could determine the former president's legacy, and also produce "one of the greatest political comebacks in American history."
During an interview with CNBC at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, Graham said he believed Trump had a "pretty good chance" of winning the next presidential election, and explained what he told the former president.
The Ambrosetti Forum, organized by The European House, is an annual international economic conference.
"I'm literally telling you what I tell him," Graham told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick on Saturday.
"If you lose again, the history about who you are and what you did dramatically changes. If you come back, it will be one of the greatest political comebacks in American history. And if you get four more years, you can do big stuff."
Trump has not announced whether he will run for president in 2024, but has told supporters he thinks they'll be very happy with what he decides. Most allies of the former president expect him to seek a return to office.
Graham, a close Trump ally, told CNBC what the former president might say to the American people if he decides to run.
"Alright, you've lived through four years of this. You get a chance to start over," Graham said. "Remember me? I may not be your cup of tea, but when I was president, our border was secure, we had the lowest illegal crossings in 40 years. I did it.
"When I was president, I stood up to China and they listened. When I was president, we had the strongest military since Ronald Reagan. When I was president, I destroyed the caliphate. When I was president, we had conservative judges, not liberal judges."
The senator, who admitted he had advised the former president that he had "no chance" of winning the 2020 election, did say that Trump might need more than sound policies to regain favor among some U.S. voters.
"His problem is personal," Graham said. "His policies have stood the test of time. But has he worn the American people out in terms of his personality? … Time will tell."