Ramesh Ponnuru, Columnist

No, Senator Graham, America Is Not an Idea

The South Carolina Republican was right to rebuke Trump. But the U.S. is a nation, not a set of ideals.

January 18, 2018 at 1:00 PM UTC

Ramesh Ponnuru is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the editor of National Review and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Political disagreement is already hard enough.
Photographer: Chris Covatta/NBAE/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

President Donald Trump had just made his infamous, if contested, remarks about not desiring immigrants from certain countries when Senator Lindsey Graham expressed disagreement.

“America is an idea, not a race,” the South Carolina Republican said, adding that diversity is a strength and not a weakness. The senator reiterated these sentiments in a statement released as the controversy over the president’s words grew. “I’ve always believed that America is an idea, not defined by its people but by its ideals.”