Sen.Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., never wanted President Donald Trump to be nominated, let alone win the presidency in 2016."If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it," Graham said on X at the time.Graham had run on the same ticket as Trump, and like many other Republicans on the debate stage, challenged Trump’s candidacy as preposterous — he once likened his candidacy to 'being shot in the head.'"LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71President Donald Trump gestures as Sen.
Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., addresses the crowd during a 2024 election campaign event in Columbia, S.C., on Jan.28, 2023.
(Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)But Trump ultimately clinched the nomination, took the White House and eventually won over Graham.Now, in the fast-moving hours after Graham's sudden death at 71 years old, and as private jockeying to fill his empty seat takes place behind the scenes, Trump has lost a once-fierce political enemy turned friend.Trump told NBC’s "Meet the Press" that he had just spoken with Graham the night before and believed "It could have been his last call.""I don't know exactly, but I got a message about 1:00 in the morning from one of the people in his office that he had passed away.I said, ‘I just can't believe it,’" Trump said.
"He was like a member of the family to me.It's very tough, actually."It wasn’t always that way for Trump.
He once told a crowd in South Carolina nine years ago that Graham was a "disgrace," and "one of the dumbest human beings I’ve ever seen."TRUMP REVEALS DETAILS OF FINAL PHONE CALL WITH GRAHAM AFTER SENATOR'S DEATH, CALLS LOSS 'BIG BLOW' TO SAVE ACT"I don’t think he could run for dogcatcher in this state and win again," Trump said at the time."I really don’t.
Other than that, I think he’s wonderful."Still, their relationship evolved from potshots online and on the debate stage into steadfast friends who weren’t shy about...