Graham dismisses criticism from Fox Business’s Lou Dobbs

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is battling for his Senate career in a toss-up reelection race, on Sunday brushed off a sharp attack from Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, telling reporters, “I don’t really worry much about Mr. Dobbs.”

Graham, when asked whether he wanted President Trump to stand up for him against attacks from the right, said Dobbs “has a right to his own opinion” but that “people at home get the big picture.” 

“I think people in South Carolina understand why it’s important for me to get reelected,” Graham said.

Dobbs on Friday expressed incredulity that conservatives are backing Graham’s reelection, criticizing him for not using his position as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate allegations made by Trump that the Obama administration improperly investigated his 2016 presidential campaign. 

“I don’t know why anyone in the great state of South Carolina would ever vote for Lindsey Graham. It’s just outrageous,” Dobbs said.

Dobbs’s salvo comes at a time when Graham is trying to rev up conservative support to win a fourth Senate term. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, a respected handicapper, moved the South Carolina Senate race into the “toss-up” category earlier this month. It was previously rated a “lean Republican” race. 

Graham has been dramatically outraised by his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, who reported collecting a jaw-dropping $57 million in the third fundraising quarter of 2020.

Graham recently pleaded for more financial support during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

Dobbs, however, took a swipe at Graham’s support from the right by accusing him of being an unreliable ally of the president. 

“Graham has betrayed President Trump at almost every turn,” Dobbs said. “He has betrayed the American people and his oath of office. He’s done absolutely nothing to investigate Obamagate except to tell everyone, ‘Stay tuned,’ time and time again. Stay tuned. Senator Graham needs to be tuned out in South Carolina.” 

Graham on Sunday quipped, “I’m sad to say I missed it” and chuckled but didn’t appear too shaken by the attack.

“I think Chuck Schumer is of the same opinion,” he added with another chuckle, referring to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)

Graham said he plans to campaign on Tuesday after the Senate votes to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court Monday evening.

Graham also responded to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’s statement on CNN on Sunday that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.”

“ We need a vaccine. Until we get a vaccine, it’s going to be just holding the line. It’s all over the world, guys. We’ve had every model from herd immunity to lock the whole world down. It’s still a problem,” he said.