Graham encourages Trump to ‘focus on problems Americans are living with,’ not 2020

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday said former President Trump should “focus on problems Americans are living with” instead of continuing to rail against the 2020 election, which Trump claims without evidence was stolen from him.

Graham told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” that he supports election integrity policies but reiterated that voters are tired of hearing about the last presidential election.

“If he runs for president, talking about 2020 is not what people want to hear. He likes hearing it, but people want to hear about how you can secure a broken border, how you can stop rampant crime,” the senator said. “That’s what people want to hear. … I’m telling [former] President Trump if you want to be president in 2024, focus on the problems Americans are living with.”

Trump has consistently endorsed candidates who repeat his claims of election fraud in GOP primary battles across the country in House, Senate and gubernatorial races. He’s also weighed in on local elections, propping up candidates who, if elected, would oversee election results in their states in 2024.

Trump continues to have high approval ratings among Republicans more than a year and a half after the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Graham told CNN the “performance of the Biden administration” has put the GOP in a good position ahead of the midterm elections, and the party should focus on core issues such as the economy heading into November.

President Biden’s approval rating continues to hover around or just below 40 percent as the administration has faced a host of setbacks in the president’s first term, namely record-high inflation.

“We’re in the game in a level that I never dreamed of,” Graham said. “It’s not so much about people liking us, it’s about people looking for an alternative to what’s going on.”