Fox News Cuts Lindsey Graham Off as He Asks for Donations After Interview
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made two on-air appeals for donations during an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday night, as he faces an unexpectedly difficult challenge from Democrat Jaime Harrison.
Graham made his opening pitch for campaign contributions while speaking to Ingraham and then launched into a second appeal as the interview was wrapping up.
The show cut away from Graham just as he was mentioning his website.
"The left is going nuts," Graham told Ingraham. "You need to get on the internet right now. My opponent has raised more money than anybody in the entire history of the United States Senate because I've been with Kavanaugh, Barret and I'm helping Trump."
Graham urged his supporters to visit his website to donate to his campaign. "They're going crazy raising money off the Supreme Court and we need to fight back," he added.
As Ingraham signed off the interview, Graham again asked the audience for help again but was cut off mid-sentence as he was mentioning his website.
His rival, Harrison, raised the record-breaking sum of $57 million in the third quarter and his campaign has said it spent $60 million during that period.
This fundraising haul represents the largest amount ever raised by a candidate for the Senate in a single quarter. Graham brought in $28 million over the same period, which is also a record amount for a Republican Senate candidate in one quarter.
Lindsey Graham attempts to beg for money a second time in one interview and is cut off pic.twitter.com/SqSHt7Vwz5
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 28, 2020
Graham has made many appeals for money during appearances on Fox News over the past few weeks. CNN created a supercut of Graham's asking for funds on Fox News shows.
In which @brikeilarcnn rolls the tape of Lindsey Graham repeatedly appearing on Fox News over the past few weeks to plead for money. pic.twitter.com/AIrEGJXZJu
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 27, 2020
The Republican's campaign has accused Harrison of trying to buy to the election using out-of-state donations.
Last week, Graham's campaign communications director T.W. Arrighi said Harrison "burned through $60 million trying to buy a Senate seat from his basement last quarter."
The Harrison campaign made a similar charge over the weekend. They issued a press release accusing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) of trying to buy a Senate seat for Graham through a SuperPAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, which is spending more than $20 million to help Graham.
Polls in South Carolina have been mixed, showing both Graham and Harrison leading. However, a Data for Progress poll from October 22 to 27 has the candidates tied. Poll tracker FiveThirtyEight rates Data for Progress B-, based on its historical accuracy and methodology.
