'The RINO needs to go': Lindsey Graham trolled after Donald Trump rebukes him over abortion stance

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Former President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Senator Lindsey Graham over the latter's push for federal legislation limiting abortion, making waves within Republican circles.

Trump's criticism comes amidst Graham's call for a national minimum standard restricting abortion to fifteen weeks, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from both within and outside the GOP.

Trump's Rebuke of Lindsey Graham

In a fiery statement on Truth Social, Trump accused Graham of misplaced priorities, suggesting that the senator should focus on issues such as border security and foreign conflicts rather than challenging the landmark Roe v Wade decision.

"The Democrats are thrilled with Lindsey because they want this issue to simmer for as long a period of time as possible," Trump began.

“Senator Lindsey Graham should spend more time focusing on all of the many people being killed because of our now non-existent Border, and the millions of people dying in senseless, never-ending Wars that he constantly favors and promotes, and should spend less time on taking away our Great Roe v. Wade Victory of sending a complicated and controversial issue back to the States where, according to Highly Respected Legal Scholars on both sides, it belongs,” Trump said.

“The Democrats are thrilled with Lindsey, because they want this Issue to simmer for as long a period of time as possible,” the 45th POTUS continued. “They are destroying our Country, and they don’t want to talk about Inflation, a Bad Economy, the Horrible Open Border, Rigged Elections, Afghanistan, Ukraine/Russia, or the Attack on Israel, all of which would never have happened if I were President. Great job Lindsey!” he added.

Graham's proposal for a federal ban on most abortions after fifteen weeks, with exceptions for specific circumstances, has faced pushback from within his own party.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell previously indicated a preference for addressing abortion issues at the state level, reflecting broader divisions within the GOP on this contentious issue.

Democrats, had seized upon Graham's abortion stance to rally support ahead of the 2022 midterms, leveraging it in their campaign messaging.

Despite Graham's persistence, some Republicans fear that his position could alienate voters and undermine the party's electoral prospects in 2024, as evidenced by their underperformance in the recent midterm elections, the New York Post reported.

Graham's defense of his abortion stance

Responding to Trump's criticism, Graham reaffirmed his commitment to federal legislation on abortion, dismissing Trump's assertion that the matter should be left to the states. He argued that protecting the unborn transcends geographical boundaries and invoked scientific evidence to support his stance, emphasizing the capacity of a fifteen-week-old fetus to feel pain.

“I respectfully disagree with President Trump’s statement that abortion is a states’ rights issue,” Graham posted on X a couple of hours later.

“Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child — not geography,” he said.

“The states’ rights only rationale today runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions and will age about as well as the Dred Scott decision,” he added. “The science is clear – a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and is capable of feeling pain.”

Graham announced a new bill aimed at providing anesthesia to unborn children facing abortion at fifteen weeks further, underscoring his determination to advance anti-abortion measures at the federal level.

“Forty-seven of fifty European nations have national limits on abortion between twelve and fifteen weeks,” he insisted. “This is the civilized world’s position.”

Social Media reactions to Trump vs Graham on abortion

However, Trump's rebuke of Graham triggered a storm of reactions on social media, with many echoing the former president's criticism and calling on him to distance himself from the South Carolina Senator.

"Trump FINALLY awoke to the truth about Lindsey Graham. I still have no idea why South Carolinians put him in the Senate in 2003 -- and then kept reelecting him. What value does he deliver?" one posted on X.

"Lindsey Graham seems to try to undermine MAGA every chance he gets. The Rino needs to go!" another fumed.

"Lindsey Graham is a war monger that will stab Trump in the back as soon as there's a chance," a comment read.

"Time for President Trump to distance himself from Graham," someone else insisted.

"Graham will come slithering back, trying to get back in Trump's good graces, and no one understands or understood why Trump liked him and kept him around in the first place, so I hope this is a permanent split," another chimed in.

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