Anthony Zurcher: From Trump critic to ally, Lindsey Graham was a political survivor of the Maga era
The article reflects on the political career of the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, highlighting his evolution from a Trump critic to a staunch ally. It examines his 23-year tenure in the Senate and his ability to adapt to the shifting political landscape of the Republican Party.
Why it matters
Graham's career serves as a case study for the transformation of the Republican Party during the Trump era and the complexities of political survival in modern American governance.
Image source, AP By Anthony Zurcher North America correspondent Published 2 hours ago Lindsey Graham, who has died aged 71, was a political survivor.
His career as a Republican senator served as a telling barometer for the dramatically changing climate in his political party - and America - in the Donald Trump era.
While there were certain issues central to Graham's political identity – including a hawkish foreign policy that focused on containing Russian global ambitions, support for Israel and regime change in Iran – his 23-year career in the Senate was marked by a willingness to adapt to the gale-force change of political winds that accompanied Trump's rise to power.
Shortly after being elected to represent South Carolina in the Senate in 2002, Graham became a close ally of Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who, while a staunch conservative, developed a national reputation for political independence.
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