Appearing on CNN's " New Day" to promote his new book "Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission," journalist Mark Leibovich was asked to explain why Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has become such an ardent defender of the former president after memorably warning the Republican Party to keep their distance from him.
Speaking with host John Berman, Leibovich was asked what Republican party lawmakers actually think about Trump when they can speak anonymously before the conversation turned to Graham who tweeted on May 3. 2016: "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it."
Now that Graham is being forced to appear before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating the South Carolina Republican's attempt to help Trump tamper with the 2020 election results, Berman asked why Graham chose the path of becoming a Trump believer.
RELATED: Lindsey Graham advised to plead the 5th in Georgia election fraud investigation
"We have 45 seconds left," Bermans said as the interview was concluding. "You addressed one of the giant questions of the last six years [which] is what happened to Lindsey Graham and your answer, I think, is unique compared to others I've seen. In some ways, you say this is really about Lindsey Graham."
"Yeah, it's a universal apply-all for politics," Leibovich began. "Lindsey Graham has been about being in the mix, being relevant, to use his word whether it was next to John McCain, or John McCain's arch-enemy, Donald Trump. It makes him relevant, puts him in the frame, keeps him well-fed, keeps him at the dice table, as he would say."
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