Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Thursday he couldn't confirm whether President Trump used the phrase " shithole countries" in a White House meeting earlier in January because he wants to maintain his relationship with the commander-in-chief.

"I want to make sure that I can keep talking to the president," Graham told CNN when asked why he hadn't clarified what was said in the Oval Office meeting between top Trump administration officials and a group of bipartisan senators.

But Trump was "absolutely not" a racist, he continued.



Graham added that personality politics was important to the president.

“You could be as dark as charcoal and lily white, it doesn't matter as long as you're nice to him," he said, referring to Trump. "You could be the pope and criticize him, it doesn't matter, he'll go after the pope. You could be Putin and say nice things, and he'll like you."

He warned the president, however, that the "street fight is over" because the U.S. needs a leader, particularly when it comes to immigration policy.

Graham also slammed some Trump aides for having "irrational", "outlier" views on immigration.

"And if you follow that lead, we'll never get anywhere," he concluded.