WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says he hopes Donald Trump will continue to be the leader of the Republican Party after his election defeat and second impeachment.

The Republican senator said Wednesday during an interview on Fox News that "if you're wanting to erase Donald Trump from the party, you're going to get erased."

Over the course of Trump's one-term presidency, Graham went from being one of his fiercest critics to being one of his most prominent allies in Congress.

Graham said it was inappropriate for Republicans in Congress to try to overturn President Joe Biden's victory and called Trump's comments ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot "a big mistake." But he says ultimately that it wasn't a crime and that he blames "the people that came into the Capitol, not him."

He said he thinks there would be a lot of support for Trump if he ran again in 2024.

He added: "But I'm not worried about 2024. I want to help Biden where I can, I want to get this country back on track."