--- title: Lindsey Graham Blasts Donald Trump as a 'Wrecking Ball' description: Lindsey Graham calls Donald Trump a "demagogue" canonical: https://time.com/3954792/donald-trump-lindsey-graham/ author: Tanya Basu article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-12T15:24:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:02:32.627Z article:section: Politics og:title: Rival Republican Blasts Donald Trump as a 'Wrecking Ball' og:description: Lindsey Graham calls Donald Trump a "demagogue" og:url: https://time.com/3954792/donald-trump-lindsey-graham/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt146454be9c834ec6/69885a843c163946da458c9b/donald-trump8.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rival Republican Blasts Donald Trump as a 'Wrecking Ball' twitter:description: Lindsey Graham calls Donald Trump a "demagogue" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt146454be9c834ec6/69885a843c163946da458c9b/donald-trump8.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Rival Republican Blasts Donald Trump as a 'Wrecking Ball'  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Jul 12, 2015 3:24 PM CUT  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at FreedomFest on July 11, 2015, in Las Vegas. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at FreedomFest on July 11, 2015, in Las Vegas.John Locher—AP  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Jul 12, 2015 3:24 PM CUT South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday [denounced](https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/status/620217709415002112 "undefined") fellow GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump as “a wrecking ball for the future of the Republican Party.” “I think he’s created a defining moment for all candidates,” Graham, speaking on CNN’s _State of the Union_, said of Trump’s incendiary comments about Mexican immigrants. Graham, widely seen as a long-shot for the GOP nomination despite his experience in the Senate as a leading foreign policy voice, called Trump a “demagogue.” “I think he’s uninformed,” Graham said. “I think he’s a wrecking ball for the future of the Republican Party in the Hispanic community, and I think we need to push back.” Trump’s comments during his presidential campaign announcement speech that Mexican immigrants are “rapists” has led to a chorus of criticism from Hispanic leaders and from many business partners who have cut ties with the real estate mogul in recent weeks. He has stood by his remarks, and on Saturday [he said he spoke for a new “silent majority” of Americans.](http://time.com/3954739/donald-trump-phoenix/ "undefined") ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. 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