Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joined Donald Trump on stage at the former president’s South Carolina primary victory party on Saturday and faced an unfriendly welcome from the crowd.
Trump called the South Carolina senator on stage during his speech after easily winning the state’s Republican presidential primary, marking his latest victory against opponent Nikki Haley.
“I always say, when I’m in trouble on the left, I call up Lindsey Graham and he straightens it out so fast,” Trump told the crowd.
The audience immediately started booing upon hearing Graham’s name and continued to do so as Trump tried to defend him.
“I love him, he’s a good man,” Trump said, inviting Graham to the stage.
Graham has been a staunch ally of Trump during his presidency, though the two have had a rocky relationship.
During Trump’s 2016 campaign, Graham called him a “race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot”; he also briefly turned against Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Still, Graham maintained his overall loyalty to Trump by endorsing him for the 2024 White House bid, defending him in the face of two indictments and dismissing anti-immigrant remarks he made in December.