Sen. Lindsey Graham called Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other female representatives of color “a bunch of Communists” Monday on “Fox & Friends,” earning his statements four lauding tweets from President Trump.
The South Carolinian Republican used his appearance on the Fox News program to call for Trump to “knock it down a notch” in his attacks on Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar. Instead, he told the president, the focus should be on their policies.
“We all know that AOC and this crowd are a bunch of Communists. They hate Israel. They hate our own country. They’re calling the guards along our border, the Border Patrol agents, concentration camp guards,” Graham said on “Fox & Friends.”
“They accuse people who support Israel of doing it for the Benjamins. They’re anti-Semitic. They’re anti-American. Don’t get them. Aim higher. We don’t need to know anything about them, personally. Talk about their policy,” he continued.
Trump issued a series of tweets on Sunday about the congresswomen, urging them to “go back” to the countries of their ethnic origins. However, three out of the four were born in America. Trump’s tweets were quickly condemned, with CNN going as far as to label them “racist.”
“Aim higher. You don’t need to talk,” Graham said in his response on Monday. “They are American citizens. They won an election. Take on their policies. The bottom line here is this is a diverse country.”
Shortly after Graham’s appearance — during which he also looked directly into the camera to tell the president, “You’re the best golfer, by far” — Trump tweeted out his quotes from the show.
“Need I say more?” Trump asked.
Watch Graham below.