Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called on Americans to raise money for former president Donald Trump’s legal defence after his arraignment on Tuesday.
Mr Graham spoke on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News after Mr Trump pled not guilty to 34 felony charges in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday. Mr Trump’s arraignment came after a grand jury voted last week to indict him for falsifying business records related to paying hush money during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The South Carolina Republican called on supporters to help the former president and appeared despondent.
“I’m sorry I’m so upset, but please help President Trump,” he said. “If you can afford five or ten bucks, if you can’t afford a dollar, fine, just pray.”
Mr Graham also said that supporters should “vote as early as you can” in their home states despite Mr Trump previously assailing early voting, preferring to keep voting to Election Day.
“Don’t risk anything anymore, vote as soon as you can,” he said. “Pray for this president, pray for this country and if you’ve got any money to give, give it.”
Mr Graham said that people who give money to his website will have their money go to Mr Trump’s legal defence instead of Mr Graham’s campaign. Mr Graham is not up for re-election until 2026.
The former president and Mr Graham have had a long relationship initially characterised by acrimony. Mr Graham called Mr Trump “a jackass” and a “religious bigot” when Mr Graham ran an ill-fated presidential campaign in 2016.
Mr Graham also did not vote for Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential election. They healed their relationship after Mr Trump won the presidency, with Mr Graham becoming one of his most outspoken defenders in the United States Senate.
At one point, Mr Graham ascended to the role of Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, in which he presided over the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whom Mr Trump nominated to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
