'He lacked a moral core': Steve Schmidt takes aim at Lindsey Graham’s blind faith in Trump

Political strategist Steve Schmidt launched a scathing attack on Lindsey Graham's life, claiming "he lacked a moral core" and was a "cast member in the most malignant reality show ever," referring to his role in President Donald Trump's administration. Schmidt shared his observations on Substack after Graham, a longtime Republican Senator, passed away on Saturday, after a "brief and sudden" illness. 

In his piece, Schmidt, who co-founded the Lincoln Project, an organization comprising conservatives who oppose Trump, wrote that Graham was a "lonely and unprincipled man who betrayed his country for power and his decency for attention," referring to his political switch from foe to a staunch ally of Trump. He further claimed Graham chose Trump over America and supported the president's lies. "He was a simple man to understand and a tragic one. He lacked a moral core and any sense of right and wrong. The great empty spaces of his life were filled with an insatiable need for “relevance.” He found it as a cast member in the most malignant reality show ever made," Schmidt wrote. 

He further claimed that there was no complexity to Graham or his journey with Trump. "[He] lived his life as a pilot fish, a parasitic sucker fish hovering about larger predators. He was a sidekick and the hollowest of hollow men," the former GOP strategist who advised George W. Bush and John McCain wrote. 

Graham, a longtime Republican senator, died after a "brief and sudden" illness, according to his office. He had long been a controversial figure not just in American politics but across the world due to hawkish defence and foreign policy views. Graham strongly supported Ukraine in its war with Russia and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, and often called for a "regime change" in Iran and endorsed US-Israeli military strikes on the country.

While he was supportive of the president’s recent international policies, he used to be a staunch Trump critic. Back in 2015, when he sought a Republican presidential nomination, he had famously denounced Trump as a "race-baiting, xenophobic" bigot and a "jackass." Further, when Trump called for a ban on all Muslims entering the country, Graham told reporters, "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed… and we will deserve it."

However, he later forged a close relationship with Trump, supporting his political agenda as a close confidant. After a reported meeting in March 2017, Graham came out in support of the president, writing, "President Trump is strongly committed to rebuilding our military, which is music to my ears," on X. Since then until his death, Graham supported the the president's policies including the military interventions in the Gulf, heavy tariffs, and even controversial domestic policies on immigration, and more. 

Earlier this year, when asked how he maintains his relationship with Trump, he told NBC News that it was rather simple. "Well, one, be mildly entertaining. Play golf. And understand he's been a great president," he said, adding that sometimes they don't agree, but the common thing between them was that they like each other.