He played sidekick to Donald Trump and John McCain, then something changed.
This article reflects on the political career of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, tracing his evolution from a close ally of John McCain to a key figure in the Trump era. It highlights his unique ability to maintain relevance by aligning himself with dominant political personalities.
Why it matters
Graham's career serves as a case study in political adaptation and the shifting power dynamics within the modern Republican Party.
Lindsey Graham would have been pleased to know that he would never spend a second of his life as an ex-senator. No one needed to be a senator like Graham, who suddenly died over the weekend, and no one savored it more. In his 2016 presidential run, Graham would campaign about how he, a bachelor with no kids, had no life and would be purely focused on the work. His friends and foes alike—most fell somewhere in between—already knew that well enough. He was exhausting.
The tone uses critical descriptors like 'exhausting' and 'busybody,' reflecting a common editorial perspective from Slate.
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