Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina spends a lot of time raging against what’s called by MAGA adherents the “Deep State” and its alleged malfeasance. A Senator for two decades, Graham, has dipped his feet, at least, into the “swamp” — as the DC bureaucracy is called.
Still, Graham put on a fiery Twitter display this week about nefarious DC machinations after Special Counsel John Durham issued his four-years-in-the-making findings on the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into Russian election interference in 2016.
Graham was so angry that the FBI’s case cast aspersions on his friend Donald Trump that the Senator practically forgot how anti-Russia he has consistently been — and that the investigation had been primarily on Russian meddling more than potential Trump campaign collusion.
Graham, who served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) in the Air Force, has unambiguously called Vladimir Putin a war criminal.
Any peace agreement that forgives and forgets Putin’s war crimes, particularly the kidnapping of children by force of arms, will destroy any semblance of the rules-based order. 2/3
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 30, 2023
So foreign policy remains an interest for Graham who, even as he wears his figurative MAGA hat (see: Lindsey Graham Drops Major Truth Bomb, Hits MAGA Upstarts), does un-MAGA things like support Ukraine and maintain ties to the world beyond the U.S. borders.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Graham, who has a special interest in the Middle East, supports a process for expanding relations with U.S. allies there. This includes Saudi Arabia, a controversial U.S. ally in the region.
What is a surprise is Graham’s language of complete support for the Biden Administration’s efforts to solidify the U.S.-Saudi relationship. While even Graham’s stark Russia criticism contained potshots at Biden, there is no dig at the President in Graham’s latest support. His support of Biden’s efforts, he says, is “complete.”
In the highly polarized environment in Washington, Graham writes: “I completely agree with the Biden Administration’s desire to normalize relationships between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.” He added that he hopes eventually the Saudi and Israelis will enjoy such normalized relationships.
Even the photo featured in Graham’s tweet speaks to accord, showing a fist bump between President Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
I completely agree with the Biden Administration’s desire to normalize relationships between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia….and eventually Saudi Arabia and Israel.https://t.co/P6nKZeZ9ks
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 17, 2023
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