Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Democratic senator calls for eliminating filibuster, expanding Supreme Court if GOP fills vacancy What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies MORE (R-S.C.) on Tuesday blamed the White House staff for an explosive meeting with President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE, saying they "gave him really bad advice."

"I don't think the president was well served by his staff. He's responsible for the way he conducts himself. ... Can't blame that on the staff, but I do believe his staff pretty much missed the mark here," Graham told reporters on Tuesday after a hearing with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenDHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law Appeals court sides with Trump over drawdown of immigrant protections Democrats smell blood with new DHS whistleblower complaint MORE.

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Pressed if he was saying the president's staff gave him "bad advice" he added: "I think somebody on his staff gave him really bad advice."

Nielsen faced heated questions from Democrats on Tuesday over Thursday's White House meeting, in which Trump reportedly described immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as coming from "shithole countries."

Graham is part of a small group of senators who announced last week that they had a deal among themselves to pair a fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with border security and changes to family-based immigration and the diversity visa lottery program.

But Trump rejected that proposal during a meeting with Graham, Sen. Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Top GOP senator calls for Biden to release list of possible Supreme Court picks MORE (D-Ill.), and several conservative lawmakers, with Graham saying the immigration talks had become an "s-show."

"What we need to do better is a reliable partner at the White House. Somebody like the president who showed up on Tuesday. We cannot do this with people in charge at the White House who have an irrational view of how to fix immigration," Graham told reporters.

Graham wouldn't say if he believes the "bad advice" came from White House aide Stephen Miller, a former Senate staffer known for his conservative views on immigration.

Asked if he was referring to White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE, Graham added that "I think Gen. Kelly is a fine man, but he's also a part of the staff."