Sen. Graham to Trump: Quit the 'Showman' Shtick

Former President Donald Trump can win the election this fall, but he must focus on policy, not showmanship, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday.

"His policies are good for America, and if you have a policy debate for president, he wins," the South Carolina Republican told NBC News' "Meet the Press." "Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election."

He added that he and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has also called on the Trump campaign to focus on policies, should advise Trump in person about how to fight Democrat nominee Kamala Harris, rather than through TV interviews.

"I don't look at Vice President Harris as a lunatic," Graham said, but added he believes she is "going to the Soviet Union playbook to lower prices."

It's a "nightmare" for her to defend her social policy choices, he added.

"Every day we're not talking about her policy choices as vice president and what she would do as president is a good day for her and a bad day for us," Graham said, calling on people like himself, Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to "get together and actually campaign for the guy rather than just give advice."

Graham added that he's looking for Trump to "show up" in the last 80 days of the campaign to define what he will do for America, including to "fix the broken border and to lower inflation."

The numbers that Americans have been living with under Harris and President Joe Biden are "terrible," he added, including increases in gas prices, groceries, and mortgage costs.

"That's what I would focus on," Graham said. "Policy is the key to the White House — 50% increase in gas prices, and mortgage rates going through the roof."

Still, Trump doubled down at a press conference last week that had been billed as a focus on the economy, telling reports that he thinks he's "entitled to personal attacks."

"I don't have a lot of respect for [Harris'] intelligence, and I think she'll be a terrible president," he commented. "I think it's very important that we win, and whether the personal attacks are good, bad, I mean, she certainly attacks me personally."