It’s no secret that liberal Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is no fan of President Donald J. Trump. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Senator Graham repeatedly attacked then-candidate Trump to no avail.
The feud went on for months. At one point, Trump retaliated by publicly releasing Senator Graham’s personal cell phone number, an event that took the internet by storm.
While Graham has been very critical of the president, he has praised him for his use of military force against Syria, as well as his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
Despite their hot and cold relationship, Senator Graham recently praised Trump, but at the same time made a strange claim: he said the president “calls me when I’m asleep.”
Lindsey Graham: Trump “calls me when I’m asleep” https://t.co/ltovmrRhjU pic.twitter.com/xA9gDC4q2D
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 15, 2017
From The Washington Examiner:
“What have I learned about our president? He’s curious, he asks questions, and he knows no fear,” Graham said, according to a video recording of his remarks at the South Carolina Republican convention. “And he’s under siege unlike any president I’ve ever seen in my entire life … They don’t believe he won; I do. Now Obama was somewhat hard for us, but I thought we were somewhat respectful.”
He blasted former President Barack Obama as a “community organizer who apologized for America every turn all over the world.” “Let me tell you that you have a commander in chief that’s not going to let this country get walked over anymore,” he said. Graham also joked about the president’s sleeping habits.
“He calls and I’m honored that he would call me and I want to help him,” he said. “He calls me when I’m asleep and he calls me after I go to bed. I wish he would rest more. I gave him my phone number. So far so good.”
Given the rocky relationship between Graham and President Trump in the past, the fact that the president calls Graham is a positive sign that the two have fostered a working relationship. President Trump is the ultimate outsider, so he does not have years of Washington, D.C. connections and relationships. With all the attacks on him, he’s building much-needed relationships with members of Congress.
Much like in business, government requires deals to be made, and President Trump’s lengthy business dealings should encourage him to reach out to everyone in Congress. Senator Graham was one of the presidents’s most vocal critics during the 2016 election, and working with him on a variety of policy issues shows just how strong President Trump is at building personal relationships and getting things done.
What are your thoughts on President Trump’s new relationship with Senator Graham? Share your thoughts below!