Lindsey Graham slammed Republican presidential contenders Donald Trump and Ted Cruz on Thursday, saying either of their nominations would be fatal to the party.
"The only way we lose this election is to nominate somebody who cannot grow this party’s vote among minorities, young women, and the coalitions we need to win," Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill,
The Huffington Post reported.
"If you nominate Trump and Cruz I think you’d get the same outcome. Whether it’s death by being shot or poisoning, does it really matter? I don’t think the outcome will be substantially different."
Imagining possible general election matchups, the senator from South Carolina also had unkind words for Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
"Dishonest — which is Hillary Clinton in the eyes of the American people — beats crazy," Graham said. "I think Donald Trump’s domestic and foreign policy is gibberish. I think Ted Cruz has a reputation of being ideological to a fault, and that when it comes to problem solving, he will have a very difficult time proving that he is a problem solver."
Graham, who recently suspended his own campaign for president, has recently endorsed Jeb Bush, but seemed open to nearly anyone who isn't Trump or Cruz.
"So let’s just pick somebody out of the phone book if we have to," he said. "We can win this election unless we lose it."
The New York Times reported that another prominent senator, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah — the chamber’s longest-serving Republican — also criticized Cruz, his fellow senator.
"I think Hillary and my friend Bernie are hoping he’ll be our nominee," said Hatch.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.