Lindsey Graham says Trump can be 'a handful,' but is 'the most dominant figure' in the GOP

Using a description typically reserved for small children and unruly puppies, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday night called former President Donald Trump "a handful."

Trump, a 74-year-old grandfather of 10, released a blistering statement on Tuesday afternoon attacking Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), in response to McConnell saying that Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Hours later, Graham appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox News show and said McConnell needs to grasp that while "Trump can be a handful," he is "the most dominant figure in the Republican Party," and without him, the GOP doesn't have "a snowball's chance in hell of taking back the majority."

Graham praised Trump as being "a hell of a president on all the things conservatives really believe in," and called his presidency "consequential." Graham said he is "sorry for what happened on January the 6th," and Trump will "get his fair share of blame." He advised Senate Republicans to "work together" and "realize that without President Trump we're never gonna get back in the majority," and said Trump needs to make some unspecified "changes" in order to reach his "potential." Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.