President-elect Donald Trump should prioritize his relationships with members of Congress once he is in the White House – and lay off the "threatening" tweets, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday.
The South Carolina Republican told MSNBC's Greta Van Susteren "For the Record" – on the eve of Trump's inauguration – Trump should connect with Capitol Hill in a way President Barack Obama did not.
"He is a fun guy to be around," Graham said of the president-elect. "I would advise him to do something Obama didn't do" and to tell lawmakers "'bring your kids, your grandkids,' show them around the building."
"Stop tweeting and start talking," Graham urged.
But Graham warned Trump "is not being viewed very well" currently, referring to poor polling numbers.
"He needs to change his image and tweeting and threatening – people will respond to being cajoled and being smooth . . ." he said.
"Tweeting and pressure makes sense, but what's been unused is the power of the office itself," Graham added.
The remarks were posted by Mediaite.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.