Few others in the president’s ear argued for attack as effectively as Graham.
Graham’s Quest for War
The Wall Street Journal discusses Lindsey Graham’s Quest to Sell Trump on Striking Iran
As Lindsey Graham tried to sell Donald Trump on bombing Iran, he liked to play a little word-association game with the president.
“I say Franklin Roosevelt, what do you say?” the Republican senator from South Carolina asked. The correct answer: “You have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
As he ticked through memorable presidential phrases, Graham asked Trump what his phrase would be. Trump said he didn’t know, Graham recalled. “Keep protesting, help is on the way,” Graham suggested, referring to Trump’s social-media post in January urging Iranians to confront their government.
Some Democrats and even Republicans point the finger at Graham, who they think goaded Trump into a Middle East conflict with little plan for how the situation will play out long term.
“Lindsey hasn’t seen a fist fight he hasn’t wanted to turn into a bombing raid,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R., Tenn.). Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) said there should be a law passed on how often Graham goes to the White House or golfs with Trump. Graham’s effort to pull MAGA toward regime change was “the quintessential political maneuvering beyond all political maneuvering,” Paul said.
Sitting in his Senate office this week with canisters of Planters peanuts and hundreds of scattered papers on his desk and signed MAGA hats on his shelves, Graham was almost giddy about persuading Trump to bomb Iran. One of the newer hats reads “Make Iran Great Again.” “What are they going to do to me?” he said of critics who opposed his efforts.
The senator said he was already talking with Trump about further military interventions in Lebanon and potentially Cuba, which he said would happen soon. He wasn’t particularly concerned about what was next in Iran, he said.
“They say if you break it, you own it. I don’t buy that. You break it when it’s a threat,” Graham said in the Journal interview.
In the White House, some military advisers warned Trump against the conflict, a group that Graham referred to as the “non-entanglement crowd.” Graham said betting on Trump’s second term was worth it for the president’s military interventions alone.
To help make the case on Iran, Graham traveled several times to Israel in recent weeks, meeting with members of the country’s intelligence agency. “They’ll tell me things our own government won’t tell me,” he said. He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coaching him on how to lobby the president for action. Netanyahu showed the president intelligence that persuaded Trump to go ahead, Graham said.
Graham also talked to the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to make sure he was aware. “I went to MBS to say, ‘OK, I think this is going down.’ ”
Graham’s long game
Graham has long wanted regime change in Iran but has never had a president willing to go as far as Trump. In 2015, Trump famously read Graham’s cellphone number on stage, after Graham called him a jackass. Graham sharply criticized Trump over the riot by Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol. Trump has remarked to aides about how much Graham gets booed at the president’s rallies in South Carolina, and Graham has occasionally annoyed Trump with his persistence, White House officials say.
Graham came back to Trump, in part because he wanted to shape his foreign-policy thinking against isolationist figures in MAGA. Going back to Trump before others did after Jan. 6, he said, gave him more leverage on foreign policy.
He reminded Trump about ripping up Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. This was Trump’s moment to make history, Graham argued to the president. Graham said he first brought up Iran to Trump during the presidential transition, over a round of golf, telling him Iran would always be an impediment to normalizing relationships in the region.
After the U.S. strikes on Iran in June, Graham said the president was “sky high.” Iran would continue to build more missiles and nuclear material, Graham told him.
Lebanon next
Many inside the president’s orbit have worried about what’s next for the U.S. in Iran, and Trump has articulated different visions for the country. They worry about how to find an off-ramp. Graham said he wasn’t concerned about that.
Graham is also dismissive of those who fear that a war will depress Trump’s followers ahead of the midterm elections, and he said MAGA ultimately would be supportive of the efforts.
Many inside the president’s orbit have worried about what’s next for the U.S. in Iran, and Trump has articulated different visions for the country. They worry about how to find an off-ramp. Graham said he wasn’t concerned about that.
Graham is also dismissive of those who fear that a war will depress Trump’s followers ahead of the midterm elections, and he said MAGA ultimately would be supportive of the efforts.
Instead, when Trump called Graham this week to praise his television appearances supportive of the war, Graham saw an opportunity. The senator said he pitched Trump on bombing Iranian and Hezbollah elements in Lebanon. “Operation Semper Fi,” he called it, in honor of the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American personnel, arguing that Trump could go even further than former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump said he would think about it, Graham recalled. “I just think he has seen the capability of our military,” Graham said.
“What I don’t understand is why more people don’t do it,” Graham said. “Try to shape these events. This is a moment of world history here. Just jump in the deep end of the pool.”
The Graham War Scorecard
Graham wanted war in Iran (he got it), more US involvement in Ukraine (fortunately never happened), and Venezuela (he got it).
Graham now promotes war with Lebanon and Cuba.
I propose we put this neocon warmonger on a horse to lead the charge.
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March 19, 2024: Lindsey Graham Tells Ukraine to Force More Young Men Into War With Russia
Graham criticized slow deliveries of U.S.-provided long-range ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) saying they “should have been here yesterday,” so that Ukrainian force could “knock the damn bridge down linking Crimea to Russia.”
Graham voted against aid to Ukraine but criticized slow deliveries of weapons. That makes sense in some alternate universe somewhere.
I want Senator Lindsey Graham and Chuck Schumer to lead the bipartisan charge.
If we could go back in time and apply the same principle to Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, and Syria we would not have been involved in any of those misguided wars.
US Meddling
US meddling made a mess in Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Israel, and damn near every place we have meddled.
The way to stop meddling is to impose a severe penalty of those who support such actions. Guess what. Meddling would stop instantaneously.
I propose Lindsey Graham should stay in Ukraine and lead the charge.
Proud Anti-War Sponsor
I am a proud anti-war sponsor with a 100% track record of being right, starting with Vietnam while in high school.
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March 6, 2026: Irony of the Day: Trump Demands ‘Unconditional Surrender’ by Iran Without Declaring War
Unconditional surrender will take boots on the ground.
The first victims of war are the children and the elderly, then the solders. Last are the people that have to pay for it.
The US debt that Trump promised to reduce and eliminate is now spiraling upwards under his folly, spending and abuse of power. Do not think for one second that we can inflate our way out of debt.
A credit downgrade of the US is right around the corner because the dollar is being debased at an accelerating rate. Worse is the loss of our reputation as a just nation that functions under the rule of law.
Welcome to the Dark Ages of Trump!
This war seems more about credit bankrupcy in US than anything else.Markets need a strong reboost like during covid.
This war is good for the military industry.Will compensate the slowing down of AI.
The oil prices rising will boost all the prices up.Then Trump will bring the price of gasoline down before the midterms.But the other prices will stay high.Hiden inflation will kill the debt.
With victory on Iran,Trump will have his hands on ALL the big oil providers.and squeeze China.
He will also end one of the principal bad islamic regime.Only Turkey will remain on a lesser degree.Islamic terror will slow down due to less support.
I don’t think Iran’s regime will resist for very long:biggest part of the population hate them.
The last win would be the fall of Cuba’s regime,which is great for the elections in US.
All this is risky ,but US had to move one way or the other.
The terrorist that govern Iran that scream death to Israel death to America—believe them– as they develop intercontinental rockets and nuclear bombs–kill their own people to stay in power==believe them –to blackmail the whole world eventually controlling the oil supply route–War was now with less risk or later with great risk
It seems that I am President Trump’s biggest fan on this site, but in this instance, I don’t think you should blame Graham: I think you should blame Trump for listening to him.
I know there are some situations in which you are more-or-less in charge, but there is someone you can’t get rid of who is a pest, who keeps at you with unhelpful ideas. I think the best solution to that is to spend less time with the pest. You don’t have to play golf with him. You can get other bright people in to argue with him.
As I recall it, Trump got rid of that Jewish fellow who wanted him to start World War III during his first term. Admittedly, that was an advisor, not a senator. But you avoid spending time with people like that if you can’t get rid of them.
We, looking at it from the outside, shouldn’t assume that we really know what goes on in private conversations. We should criticize policy, not personalities.
I remember watching the video of Trump on AF1 answering some questions with Graham right along side him. Graham was absolutely giddy listening to Trump talking about bombing Venezuela and removing Meduro. He said something like “then onto Cuba and then onto…”. Never seen him happier. Though he often does seem a little high regardless of the situation. Drunk on power he is. I remember when he also said “count me out, I’ve had enough” after Jan 6th. But did he vote to impeach? No, of course not. He’s the slipperiest snake in the grass I think I’ve ever seen in politics.
Two know-nothing psychopaths burning the last scraps of US prestige and legitimacy in the world at large.
Graham needs his surname changed to …Mayhem.. to give all a big Warning.
Influential Big Ego AIPAC stooge just one of many whispering in ear of POTUS. It’s like socialism this time they are going to do it right (USA regime change).
Hard to believe Israel i(MSM Blackout) isn’t being hit harder than other middle east nations.
About time for NATO to interdict Chinese tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
PLEASE Lindsey is a puppet!
no need even discuss he has any influence on this matters in middle east!
we know who runs show! it is people w/ at least 11 figures in bank! Larry Ellison, Miriam Adelson, etc
they dont carte about lives of usa ppl, debt of $40 trn, 2.5 trln deficit
Adelson’s husband bought congress and outlawed online poker. He’s dead now I hope it was a horrible and long death.
Funny thing was he owned a casino with a poker room, online poker made casino poker profitable by bringing in new players by the thousands. He was a dunce.
I don’t have any knowledge of the people or whether your account is accurate, but if so, it’s not funny. It’s what they always do.
I have sat in a political party meeting discussing an upcoming campaign in which the biggest hotelier and brothel-keeper in my town talked about running a campaign against illegal drugs. Someone asked whether the other hoteliers would support it, and he said: “Why wouldn’t they?” These people are businessmen. They may not be in an ethical business, but they are businessmen. Doctors condemn marijuana and other drugs that they don’t control for the same reason. It’s business. And I’m not condemning free enterprise, just politics.
Your Adelson may have been making a mistake by thinking online poker was competition instead of advertising. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking of his business.
The Douchebag-In-Chief is waging war on the American people on behalf of Russia and Israel. How much longer do we stand for this shit?
=Russia
what russia has anything todo w / usa politics?
are you on meds?
Agent Krasnov is Putin’s double agent. Everything he has done has benefitted Russia, up to and including jacking the prices of oil and LNG to recent highs. Whatever man, English isn’t even your first language, go suck a bag of dicks. Consult a dictionary if you need that explained to you.
Israel has a history of intrigue when it comes to casting shadows on its enemies. You cannot trust a lot of the intelligence that comes out of Israel. It is all slanted towards weakening its neighbours and they will make stuff up including false flag attacks.
They are better than the US at this stuff! No doubt they ran circles around Graham when he was visiting, feeding him false information which likely went unvetted by US intelligence and taken as gospel and then passed on to Trump.
Admittedly this is pure speculation. But knowing how manipulative the Israeli regime is and how ignorant and wanting to hear what they are telling him Graham is, it seems logical… and now we have a war with no off ramp other than total surrender and Trump picking a new Iranian leader which is not going to happen before the mid terms and then it will be that we can’t possibly have elections during this war that is not a war.
Why doesn’t the Coward, Graham, get right to the front, on horseback.
Ah, Linda Graham. Playing Iago to Trump’s Othello.
So who did they catch you with, Linda? A live boy or a dead boy?
I would donate to a Go Fund Me to pay for all expenses to send Linda to the front lines – training, gear, etc.
Graham and Taco are a mutt and jeff team if there ever was one.
“What are they going to do to me?” Perhaps put him in prison? I have no doubt he could be convicted of something, but I’m not sure what legal avenue would be best pursued to get him convicted, or who will have courage to do it.
For starters, I’d look into other quasi-diplomatic entanglements has he had with foreign governments, and investigate whether any of them run afoul of the Logan Act.
Lindsey Graham will make millions from defense contractors and from Israel. The more bombs dropped, the more money the MIC makes. We see this is the same failed strategy tried in Iraq, Syria, and many, many other places, including Iran itself when the Shah was installed against the desires of Iranians.
Don’t shake Lindsey’s bloodstained hands.
why does he need more money
he is set for life, now in congress and after ..
he is untouchable !
The rich ALWAYS need more.
“War is hell” (Sherman) and “War does not determine who is right—only who is left” (Russell).