Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican from South Carolina, evolved from a vocal critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential primary to one of his staunchest allies in the Senate. His public statements reveal a dramatic shift in his assessment of the former president.
During the 2016 Republican primary, Graham, who was also running for president, frequently expressed strong disapproval of Trump. In August 2015, he wrote on social media, "Trump has no idea what the world is actually like and is not qualified to be Commander in Chief." A month later, he characterized Trump's foreign policy knowledge as derived from "watching television – the Cartoon Network."
Following Trump's insult to then-Senator John McCain, Graham, a close friend of McCain, publicly urged Trump to "stop being a jackass."
In early 2016, Graham declared on social media that "Donald Trump is not a conservative Republican. He’s an opportunist. He’s not fit to be President of the United States." In May 2016, he predicted that nominating Trump would lead to Republican defeat, stating, "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it."
However, following Trump's 2016 election victory, Graham's relationship with the president transformed. He became a consistent ally in the Senate. A notable shift occurred after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, when Graham expressed disappointment with Trump's actions. "All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough," he said at the time.
Despite this statement, Graham's alignment with Trump shifted again within weeks. He supported Trump's acquittal on impeachment charges and by May 2021, he asserted that the Republican Party "can't grow without him."
In more recent years, Graham's close ties to Trump became evident. In a victory speech for his primary election last month, Graham thanked Trump, saying, "Mr. President, you’re not far behind God, but we’re gonna start with him." He also pledged to be Trump's "strongest ally" in the Senate.
Throughout this period, Trump largely appeared to harbor no ill will towards Graham, often appearing with him at the White House and Mar-a-Lago. Following Graham's death, Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening.