U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said the photos of last Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump will "become one of the most iconic images in the history of our country."

South Carolina's senior senator sat down with SCETV's Gavin Jackson on Day 4 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Graham told Jackson he and Trump were supposed to play golf on Sunday morning, the day after a lone gunman shot Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

Graham said the video of the shooting "just hit me like a ton of bricks."

The senator drove to New Jersey and visited with Trump at Bedminster. The two later flew together from New Jersey to the RNC in Milwaukee.

"That was a changed man," Graham said.

Graham said Trump was very thankful and grateful.

Graham said he told Trump, "God gave you a mulligan man. Let's use it well."

"A near-death experience changes anybody," Graham said.

Trump will deliver his nominating speech tonight from Fiserv Forum.

Graham told Jackson he hopes the Republican crowd will hear a uniting speech.

"But he told me he had a speech, it was pretty red meat, tore it up, and I said, 'Good, bring us together,'" Graham said.

Here are other highlight's from Jackson's interview with Graham:

On Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance

"JD Vance did a great job last night (Wednesday). He's got a compelling story. I have differences with him."

On whether President Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee:

"I don't think Biden's going to be the nominee. I've been saying that for over a month. I like President Biden. I've known him for years., but I think his physical and mental decline, which is pretty obvious, is going to lead to a change."

Biden has publicly maintained that he is running for another term and is not stepping down.

The Democratic National Convention is Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

"His policies are not working," Graham said. "I wish him well."

"I told President Trump, 'This things going to tighten up. Now you're in a good spot, but I think it's going to be sooner rather than later you see a Vice President (Kamala) Harris be their nominee.'"

On Ukraine:

"You don't end a war well if you start another one. I just met with a South Korean ambassador. They're all worried in Asia that if (Russian President) Putin gets away with this, then China will take Taiwan and they'll keep taking islands claimed that they don't own because the world seems to be OK with that. I want to end the war too. But you got to end it in a way that (doesn't) start another war."

"You got have to have Ukraine into NATO, Ukraine in the European Union so Putin won't invade again. There'll be some territorial compromise. But the big thing for me is to make sure that Ukraine's not invaded in the future. End it in a way to discourage others."

The South Carolina Republican delegation is holding their final working breakfast of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This morning, delegates grabbed breakfast with South Carolina's congressional delegation complete with a roast of sorts from U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The delegation will attend a closed to press event later today before heading to Fiserv Forum downtown for the final day of the convention.

Tonight, former President Donald Trump will formally accept Republicans' nomination for president.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who once criticized former President Donald Trump over his response to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, will speak tonight during Day 3 of the Republican National Convention.

The 1st Congressional District congresswoman will speak after 6 p.m. central time zone Wednesday.

Other speakers tonight include Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., and Trump's vice presidential pick, Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

Mace, a former state lawmaker and the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, has represented the coastal South Carolina district since 2020, when she beat then-Democratic Congressman Joe Cunningham.

Mace worked on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Following Mace's criticism of Trump's role in the Jan. 6 riot, Trump endorsed Mace's 2022 Republican opponent, former state Rep. Katie Arrington.

Mace won the 2022 race, and later endorsed Trump's 2024 bid.

Earlier this year, Mace was one of eight U.S. House Republicans to vote to boot former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Despite McCarthy's efforts, Mace won the June 2024 primary.

Mace will face Democrat Michael B. Moore in November.

In 2019, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott said 2022 would be his final election to the upper chamber.

A few years later, Scott, the sole Black Republican in the Senate, ran for president in a GOP field that included former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Once considered for former President Donald Trump's running mate (Trump this week picked Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance), South Carolina delegates now openly ask what the junior senator from the Palmetto State will do next?

Delegates say they hope Trump considers Scott for a Cabinet position.

But Scott on Wednesday perhaps hinted at another future role.

Holding a bouquet of red roses given to him by the S.C. Federation of Republican Women that Scott said he would give to his fiancé, Mindy Noce, Scott told delegates at breakfast that treating him this nice might make him "want to run again."

Scott and Noce are planning to marry in August.

What do you do after Day 2 wraps on the Republican National Convention?

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham hosted his annual cookies and milk gathering at the South Carolina delegations hotel outside downtown Milwaukee.

The event, held in the lobby, included milk, of course, and a variety of cookies, brownies and Rice Krispies Treats.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott spoke to the South Carolina delegation Wednesday morning over breakfast.

Kentucky's delegates also joined.

“A Trump-Vance ticket must be successful this November,” Scott to the crowd.

The delegation gave Scott a standing ovation.

"He went into preacher mode," one attendee said outside the room.

The South Carolina delegation has two events on the agenda Wednesday. Both are closed to press.

Day 3 of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 11 p.m. central time.

On the second day of the Republican National Convention, the theme of unity continued.

No stronger was that evident than having two of former President Donald Trump’s 2024 GOP rivals on stage, including South Carolina’s own Nikki Haley.

“Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period,” Haley told the RNC crowd in her opening remarks.

Haley acknowledged her own differences with Trump, but said voters can have differences and still support the former president.

Haley was met with some boos but largely cheers from the thousands of Republicans in Fiserv Forum, especially from the South Carolina delegation.

Multiple "we love you Nikki" could be heard in the crowd.

Gov. Henry McMaster told SC Public Radio that he enjoyed the speech and her calls for unity.

McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette stood with the rest of the delegation when Haley was announced on stage and when Haley ended her remarks.

Gov. Henry McMaster says that Nikki Haley's speaking slot at the Republican National Convention proves how wide of a tent the Republican Party has.

Haley was not originally invited to speak at the RNC, but will now speak after 8 p.m. central time to a room full of delegates who on Monday nominated her 2024 GOP rival.

During her presidential bid, Haley once made the argument that she was the strongest Republican candidate to beat President Joe Biden.

Haley, who served in former President Donald Trump's Cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, had encouraged her 97 committed delegates to back Trump.

Tuesday's RNC schedule shows the former South Carolina governor will be followed by another primary opponent of Trump's: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"I think President Trump has opened the door wide, and made it clear that anyone that wants to be a part of what the Republican Party is trying to do in the country is welcome to be in it," McMaster told SCETV and SC Public Radio at the South Carolina delegation's hotel outside downtown Milwaukee.

On Wednesday, one final South Carolinian will address the RNC.

First Congressional District Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who, like Haley, once sparred with Trump and is now standing by his side.

The Republican National Convention won't gavel in until 5 p.m. at Fiserv Forum.

So what is the delegation planning to do with its downtime? Hit up the movies.

SCETV and SC Public Radio was told delegates have been invited for a screening of "Reagan," starring Dennis Quaid.

The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee continues Tuesday.

First thing this morning on the South Carolina delegation's agenda? Breakfast with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. (The breakfast is closed to press.)

Convention activities at Fiserv Forum don't begin until later tonight, but some in the South Carolina delegation say they're looking forward to hearing from former Gov. Nikki Haley, who released her 97 committed delegates and encouraged them to back former President Donald Trump.

Trump's 2024 GOP rival, Haley was not originally scheduled to speak at the RNC.

Tonight, she'll try to get Republicans to unify behind her former opponent.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott brought the thousands of Republicans at the RNC to their feet Monday night.

"If you didn't believe in miracles before Saturday, you better be believing right now," Scott said, referring to Saturday's assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump. "... But an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared."

Meanwhile, SC Public Radio saw Gov. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette greet RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, also Trump's daughter-in-law.

Trump later arrived at Fiserv Forum with a white bandage on his ear.

This is the final post of RNC Day 1.

South Carolina has cast all 50 delegates for former President Donald Trump.

Gov. Henry McMaster, a longtime ally of Trump's, gave the state's nominating remarks for the former president.

"From the mountains to the sea, where we've been fighting for liberty since 1670, where the Revolutionary War was won, where in 2016 Donald Trump won his first primary victory ever, ushering in the Trump era of American history," McMaster said before declaring all 50 delegates to Trump.

Former President Donald Trump has a running mate.

In a post to social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced he picked U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.

On X, Gov. Henry McMaster called Vance "an excellent and highly qualified group of leaders from which to choose a running mate."

The state by state roll call is still underway, though Trump has already received enough delegates to be the Republicans' nominee.

The Republican National Convention is well underway in the Fiserv Forum.

Past different phases of security, crowds gathered around giant "Trump 2024" letters to pose for photos, played cornhole and grabbed a bite at one of several vendors (food choices ranged from cheesecake and cookies to gourmet popcorn and pizza) spread out outside the convention center.

The media filing center is across the street from the convention center.

The theme of RNC Day 1 is "Make America Wealthy Once Again."

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a former presidential candidate, is among the more than a dozen speakers who will take the stage Monday.

Other Monday speakers include Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Former President Donald Trump will be officially nominated Monday by a roll call of GOP delegations from all 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia.

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Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy dropped by South Carolina's hotel in Brookfield to rally delegates.

He started his remarks by complimenting state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick.

"He's what President Trump likes to call a winner," Ramaswamy said.

Maayan Schechter

Ramaswamy then moved his remarks to Saturday's rally, where Trump faced an assassination attempt by a lone gunman.

"I think we came within a hair's breath of a second civil war in this country, and we avoided it," he said. "And I think it's because God intervened."

Ramaswamy said it's now "up to us to step up and use" the second chance.

The South Carolina delegates are now headed to convention center Fiserv Forum.

SCETV and SC Public Radio were originally told that U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, was not attending the convention.

We're now told Norman will be coming.

Norman endorsed former Gov. Nikki Haley during the presidential primary before backing Trump after Haley dropped out of the race.

Haley is set to speak at the RNC Tuesday.

South Carolina's Republican delegates took in more than french toast and orange juice on the first day of the RNC.

Over breakfast, delegates were served with a reality check by Republican pollster Robert Cahaly of the Trafalgar Group. (Cahaly is a S.C. native.)

"Overconfidence will lose this election," Cahaly said at the delegation hotel in Brookfield, about 20 minutes outside of downtown Milwaukee.

Cahaly told delegates his firm plans to conduct polls in swing states. He cautioned delegates that current polls showing former President Donald Trump up by about 2 percentage points "ain't good enough."

Cahaly said some may believe that the election is now over after an assassination attempt on Trump at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday.

But the pollster cautioned against thinking that means Trump will cruise to a November victory.

"The election ain't over till it's over," he said.

Gov. Henry McMaster and state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick also spoke to delegates Monday morning. (SCETV and SC Public Radio were not in the room.)

Editor's note: Milwaukee is in the central time zone. All time stamps will be Milwaukee time.

The start of the Republican National Convention comes two days after the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.

Fifty South Carolina delegates, plus 47 alternates, have descended on Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the 2024 convention.

The convention is part formal nomination process, part party platform adoption and part pep rally for the GOP.

Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, several members of the state's congressional delegation and loyal party activists are in town to attend the convention. (Congressmen Jeff Duncan and Ralph Norman are not attending due to scheduling conflicts, their offices said.)

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and Congresswoman Nancy Mace are both scheduled to speak before the convention delegates this week.

Former presidential candidate and former Gov. Nikki Haley will also speak Tuesday.

Haley has since released her 97 committed delegates and encouraged them to support Trump.

Follow South Carolina ETV and South Carolina Public Radio throughout the day for more state-focused updates.

You can follow Maayan Schechter on X, formerly Twitter, @MaayanSchechter, and Gavin Jackson @GavinJackson.