Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
McClatchy Washington Bureau
McClatchy Washington Bureau
National
Jack Kelly

Lindsey Graham, facing tough reelection, breaks with Trump

WASHINGTON _ Sen. Lindsey Graham has publicly opposed President Donald Trump five times in the past few weeks, an unusual torrent of dissent from one of the president's top allies in Washington just months before the South Carolina Republican faces a tough reelection challenge.

Since June 20, Graham has blocked a Trump U.S. attorney nominee, criticized Trump's decision to put a temporary freeze on visas for foreign workers, split with the president about face masks during the coronavirus pandemic and pressed the administration for information about alleged Russian bounties on American soldiers.

Monday, Graham was at odds with Trump after the president alleged in a Twitter post that an apparent noose found last month in the Talladega Superspeedway garage of Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's only Black full-time driver, was a "HOAX," and called on Wallace to apologize to his NASCAR colleagues.

Graham, speaking to Fox News Radio, said Wallace being upset about the noose "made perfect sense to me."

"I don't think Bubba Wallace has anything to apologize for," Graham said, adding that "you saw the best in NASCAR. When there was a chance that it was a threat against Bubba Wallace, (the drivers) all rallied to Bubba's side. I would be looking to celebrate that kind of attitude more than being worried about it being a hoax."

The FBI investigated the incident last month, concluding that the noose had been in the garage since last year and, accordingly, Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime.

Graham also addressed NASCAR's recent decision to ban the Confederate flag at its events, saying that "if you're in business, the Confederate flag is not a good way to grow your business."

The senator has been a strong ally and personal friend of Trump, defending the president in several high-profile moments over the last four years.

Graham was one of the most outspoken Senate supporters of Brett Kavanaugh, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by Trump, during hearings that featured sexual assault allegations against the nominee. Graham declared during the process that Kavanaugh "has nothing to apologize for." The senator also defended Trump amid impeachment hearings in the House, calling the process "a bunch of BS."

The two golfed together at the Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia, last month.

The White House declined to comment on Graham's recent opposition to the president. Kevin Bishop, Graham's communications director, told The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, that the senator "agrees with President Trump a large percentage of the time, but when he doesn't he has not been shy about speaking out."

Back home, Graham is opposed by a well-funded challenger: Jaime Harrison, a former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman.

Harrison raised $7.4 million in the first three months of 2020, nearly $2 million more than the $5.7 Graham collected, though as of May 20, Graham's campaign maintained a significant cash on hand advantage with nearly $14 million available, Federal Election Commission data show. Filings for Harrison's campaign show it had $6.7 million in cash on hand on May 20.

Harrison has taken aim at Graham on criminal justice reform legislation and the coronavirus pandemic.

Harrison said Senate Republicans' police reform bill, which Graham backed, wouldn't heal "a community crying out in pain." The South Carolina Democrat also unleashed his first attack ad of the general election campaign last week, which charges that "Lindsey's playing Washington games while we need to solve South Carolina problems" related to the pandemic.

Trump has similarly been under fire from Congressional Democrats for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his response to protests calling for nationwide police reforms.

Graham's recent rebuffs of Trump could be an attempt to "have some limited amount of distance from the president" in order to maintain support from groups _ like suburban voters _ who have "soured" on Trump, according to Kyle Kondik, managing editor of the nonpartisan political newsletter Sabato's Crystal Ball.

Kondik was quick to point out, though, that Graham's breaks with Trump are rooted in long-standing beliefs of the senator.

The Republican senator's opposition to Trump in recent weeks has ranged from a simple difference of opinion to a full rebuke of Trump and his administration.

First, Graham, who serves as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would honor committee precedent that effectively sinks Trump's nominee to replace Geoffrey Berman as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Berman's ousting was considered controversial by Democratic lawmakers as he oversaw several high-profile investigations into Trump's campaign and the president's former associates.

Attorney General William Barr announced late on June 19 that Berman was stepping down. Berman responded, saying "I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning." The next day, Trump fired Berman, though there was some uncertainty over whether this action was legal. Berman agreed to accept the firing after Barr confirmed Berman's deputy would take over as U.S. attorney in an acting capacity.

"It has always been the policy of the Judiciary Committee to receive blue slips from the home state senators before proceeding to the nomination," Graham said in a statement. "As chairman, I have honored that policy and will continue to do so." Blue slips allow senators to block judicial appointees in their home states.

Two days later, Graham rebuked Trump again, this time over the president's executive order to temporarily halt new work visas for foreign workers seeking employment in the United States.

"Those who believe legal immigration, particularly work visas, are harmful to the American worker do not understand the American economy," Graham tweeted after Trump gave the order, adding that he fears Trump's decision "to temporarily shut down these programs will create a drag on our economic recovery."

In 2016, South Carolina companies requested 6,932 H-1B-supported positions. New H-1B visas have been halted through the end of the year under Trump's order. South Carolina employers, like Graham, decried Trump's decision, saying it will hurt their ability to recruit and retain talent.

In another split with the president, Graham said Americans should be wearing face masks, telling CNN that the president's "got his own view of whether or not he should wear a mask but my advice to people is if you're around strangers, try to stay 6 feet away, wear a mask."

The president has resisted wearing a mask in public throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has made a point to avoid wearing a mask in front of journalists. "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it," he said in reference to the mask he removed before touring a Ford plant in Michigan in May.

Trump seemingly reversed course last week, saying that he would have "no problem" being seen wearing a mask. However, the president has yet to do so publicly.

Graham also challenged the Trump administration to address a report that the president was briefed on, but did not respond to, intelligence that bounties were being placed on American troops in Afghanistan by Russian military intelligence.

"I expect the Trump administration to take such allegations seriously and inform Congress immediately as to the reliability of these news reports," Graham tweeted last weekend, the day before he golfed with Trump.

Graham said he was briefed on the intelligence last week and tweeted that he "completely understand(s) why the president was not briefed" about the matter.

The White House has maintained that the president was not briefed on the matter and said the information did not reach the president because it was not verified.

Graham did extend an invitation to Democrats to work with him to be tougher on "Putin's Russia," with which he said he has "major issues." Trump has been criticized for being too friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin since taking office. House Democrats, who were briefed by the White House on the issue early last week, criticized Trump's actions.

In South Carolina, two veteran state Republicans were quick to dismiss the idea that Graham's opposition to Trump in recent weeks is politically motivated.

Katon Dawson, former state GOP chairman, told The State that Graham's actions were just a continuation of the lawmaker's willingness to speak his mind.

"Lindsey (Graham) has a history of being extremely independent and a maverick," Dawson said, adding that South Carolina's senior senator is "willing to take the pounding for standing up for what he believes in."

Dawson said he's not surprised Graham "is breaking with the president."

"I don't think you're looking at Graham trying to break because it scores political points," he said, pointing out that both Graham and Trump are popular in South Carolina.

David Woodard, a now-retired Clemson University political science professor who ran Graham's early congressional campaigns, agreed with Dawson, telling The State in a phone interview that the senator "has always had that kind of independent streak about him."

"He's always his own man," Woodard said in reference to Graham. "He's not afraid to dress down the president."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.