Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, is a prominent 'pro-Trump' figure. A golf friend of President Trump, he actively collaborates with the Trump administration at the congressional level. Recently, as President Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's passive stance on a ceasefire proposal regarding the Ukraine war, Senator Graham noted that he would push for a bipartisan agreement on sanctions against Russia.
According to The Washington Post (WP), during a town hall meeting held in South Carolina on the 15th of last month (local time), Senator Graham said to Europe, 'I think Europe has become “woke.”' This was in response to a question from an attendee who noted that, as JD Vance said, the United States no longer shares culture and values with European leaders, aligning with the Trump administration's stance of distancing itself from the European Union (EU).
In fact, Senator Graham was once well-known as an 'anti-Trump' figure. In 2015, during the Republican presidential candidate competition with President Trump, he publicly criticized the controversial Trump candidate, calling him a 'jackass.' In response, President Trump remarked, 'I saw this 'idiot' Graham calling me stupid,' and revealed Graham's personal phone number, further escalating their conflict.
First elected to the Senate in 2003, Senator Graham has been a significant figure for over 20 years. He previously took the lead in criticizing President Trump alongside his 'close friend' and senior Republican Senator John McCain (Arizona), who passed away. In 2018, the two senators publicly targeted the Trump administration's fiscal year 2018 budget proposal, stating it was 'dead on arrival.'
Senator Graham's closeness to President Trump began during the first term of the Trump administration when they played golf together. In 2018, The New York Times (NYT) stated that Graham was 'skilled at flattering the president to become friends' and evaluated that 'thanks to this attitude, Senator Graham captured President Trump's ear and even secured the special status of being the president's “golf friend.”'
During the first term of the Trump administration, Senator Graham actively supported President Trump in various ways. Throughout Trump's first term, he promised to initiate a bipartisan and comprehensive investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election through the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. He also worked with President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on issues such as immigration.
As Senator Graham grew closer to President Trump, he also changed his beliefs. Just three years ago, he argued that Russia's recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories, such as Crimea, should be prohibited and co-sponsored a bill for this purpose. However, he has recently stated that the end of the Ukraine war should seek to recognize Russian territorial ownership, noting, 'I want to approach it realistically.'
Changes in his stance can also be observed in other policy areas. Once claiming to be the 'world's police' and advocating for active U.S. intervention, Senator Graham has recently adopted a more isolationist approach. In a media interview last month, Graham stated that his perspective on America's position in the world has changed through discussions with Trump. This change resulted from aligning with President Trump, who asserts that European countries are 'taking advantage' of the U.S.
Senator Graham's changes are interpreted as a strategy to survive the 2026 U.S. Senate election. WP noted that 'Graham's shift in foreign policy has helped him gain 'Trump support' to survive next year's election,' while evaluating, 'He is precariously balancing between the classical foreign policies that shaped him and the increasingly isolationist faction within his party.' Senator Graham is challenging for a fifth term in South Carolina, where President Trump won the last election by an 18-point margin.