Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) death on Saturday reveals the reason he sold out to support President Donald Trump in the first place was a "poignantly tragic" goal that Graham will never accomplish, according to one analyst.
Will Saletan, a writer at The Bulwark, said during a new episode of the podcast "Bulwark Takes," hosted by Sam Stein, the outlet's managing editor, that Graham seemed to sell out to Trump to protect the "soul" of the Republican Party. Saletan surmised that Graham sought to influence Trump from the inside rather than trying to browbeat the president from outside Congress.
"What he sold out for was some influence on Trump's foreign policy, but also keeping his job," Saletan said.
He recalled how Graham seemed to extend an olive branch to Trump after Graham retained his seat in the 2020 general election. Instead of asking Republicans to turn over a new leaf after Trump's loss, Graham helped "bring Donald Trump back," Saletan said.
Saletan added that Graham was about to see the payoff from all of that work after he won re-election in November. Even if Democrats won both chambers, Graham would have been in Congress to see Trump being held accountable.
"This is what it was all for," Saletan said. "All the work he did to bring back Trump and the further sellout, and he's not going to get it. And, I don't know how to describe how poignant and tragic that is for him and for our country."
Graham died suddenly on Saturday night after suffering from cardiac arrest, according to reports. His death dealt the Trump administration a significant blow in its efforts to smooth over relations between the White House and Congressional lawmakers, according to some analysts.