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Lindsey Graham: Donald Trump is a 'wrecking ball' for Republican Party

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham dismissed rival Donald Trump's chances of clinching the Republican presidential nomination, calling him a "wrecking ball" hurting his party.
/ Source: TODAY

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham dismissed rival Donald Trump's chances of clinching the Republican presidential nomination, calling Trump a “wrecking ball” hurting his party.

"He’s riding a wave of just outlandish behavior that there are some people in the Republican Party like hearing," the South Carolina senator said Wednesday on TODAY about Trump, who has made broad characterization of Mexicans as rapists and drug dealers. "I think the overwhelming majority of Republicans don’t like that rhetoric."

According to the latest USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, Trump leads the field of GOP contenders, but is the weakest performing among the top seven GOP candidates when pitted again Hillary Clinton.

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Graham questioned Trump's qualifications and leadership ability.

“I think if you ask me, ‘Is this man ready to be commander in chief?’ Absolutely not," he said.

Graham criticized Trump for making blanket statements and coming up with proposals like charging the Mexican government $100,000 for every immigrant that crosses the border into the United States.

“We live in the most complicated dangerous times in the world, and he’s a wrecking ball when it comes to policy,” he said. “And the way he’s engaged the public is hurting the Republican Party at a time when we have a chance to do better."

Follow TODAY.com writer Eun Kyung Kim on Twitter.