Summary The Corruption of Lindsey Graham A Case Study in Authoritarianism www.thebulwark.com
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One Line
Lindsey Graham's support for Trump demonstrates a departure from his principles and a move towards authoritarianism, as he embraces policies and shifts blame onto the public.
Slides
Slide Presentation (10 slides)
Key Points
- Lindsey Graham initially criticized Donald Trump for his hateful and authoritarian rhetoric during the 2016 presidential campaign.
- Lindsey Graham eventually endorsed Trump and defended his actions, focusing on maintaining Republican control of Congress and influencing foreign policy.
- Lindsey Graham's transformation revealed his defense of Trump's abuses of power and his abandonment of previous criticisms.
- Lindsey Graham supported Trump's ban on Muslims entering the United States and praised his foreign policy decisions.
- Lindsey Graham received a report stating that the Mueller report did not exonerate Trump, but he lied and claimed that it did.
- Lindsey Graham enabled authoritarianism by serving Trump instead of an idea, rationalizing his devotion to Trump.
- Lindsey Graham disputed the election's outcome and attempted to overturn it, spreading misleading claims of fraud.
- Lindsey Graham's loyalty to Trump became evident after the January 6th attack on the Capitol, as he defended Trump and made phony arguments against convicting him.
Summaries
20 word summary
Lindsey Graham's support for Trump reveals his abandonment of principles and descent into authoritarianism, endorsing policies and blaming the public.
83 word summary
The Corruption of Lindsey Graham is a case study in the rise of authoritarianism. Lindsey Graham initially despised Donald Trump and Ted Cruz but eventually endorsed Cruz. However, when Trump won the election, Graham criticized his hateful and authoritarian rhetoric. Despite this,
Lindsey Graham's support of Donald Trump showcased his abandonment of principles and his descent into authoritarianism. Despite previously condemning authoritarian doctrine, Graham endorsed Trump's policies, including controlling oil in Syria and using military force to seize foreign oil. He blamed public
1352 word summary
The Corruption of Lindsey Graham is a case study in the rise of authoritarianism. The Republican party was in trouble, and Lindsey Graham knew it. He initially despised Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, but eventually endorsed Cruz. However, Trump won the election
Lindsey Graham criticized Donald Trump for his hateful and authoritarian rhetoric during the 2016 presidential campaign. He condemned Trump's calls for stealing oil, deporting American citizens, summary execution, banning Muslims, retributive torture, and targeting noncombat
Lindsey Graham initially criticized Trump and his policies, accusing other candidates of placating Trump's voters. Graham believed that Trump was preying on people's fears and knew how to manipulate them. However, as Trump gained strength and became the presumptive
Lindsey Graham initially resisted supporting Trump but eventually saw practical reasons to do so, including maintaining Republican control of Congress and influencing foreign policy. Graham formulated a rationale for accepting Trump, using democracy as his justification. Graham believed that the people had chosen Trump
In October, Lindsey Graham accused the Obama administration of letting illegal immigrants vote and claimed the election was being rigged. He no longer saw Trump's eruptions as evidence of his unfitness, but rather politically unhelpful. Graham focused on protecting the GOP
Lindsey Graham's transformation is examined, revealing his defense of Trump's abuses of power while simultaneously lobbying for hawkish foreign policies. Many Republicans, including Graham, initially underestimated Trump's intelligence and viewed themselves as manipulators rather than pawns. However
Lindsey Graham initially opposed Trump's ban on Muslims entering the United States, but later accepted the euphemism that it was not a Muslim ban. Graham supported Trump's foreign policy decisions and praised him, but when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey
Lindsey Graham became Trump's unofficial attorney, abandoning discussions of Trump's character and focusing on the letter of the law. He argued that Trump's demands for Comey's loyalty were not a crime, and that Trump's warnings to the FBI director did
Lindsey Graham initially supported the idea that if Michael Flynn's phone calls with the Russian ambassador were improper, then Trump pressuring Comey to drop the investigation could be obstruction of justice. However, Graham later changed his stance, stating that Flynn lying was
Lindsey Graham embraced Trump's voters and made necessary adjustments to align himself with Trump's agenda. Congressional Republicans went from excusing and protecting Trump to being afraid of him. Graham understood the imbalance of power and the erosion of checks and balances in Congress
Lindsey Graham defended Trump's character, claiming that the real Trump was the charming and funny version he had seen on Tuesday. Graham argued that Trump's actions were not motivated by race or character, but rather by whether or not people showed him respect
Lartha Raddatj pointed out Trump's pattern of obstruction and asked about the possibility of Trump testifying before Mueller. Graham advised Trump to consult his lawyers. He agreed that a president shouldn't have unlimited power, but the bill he sponsored
Lindsey Graham boasted about his close relationship with Donald Trump and defended Jared Kushner's role in the Trump Tower meeting. Graham dismissed the idea of collusion and expressed his frustration with the media's scrutiny of Trump. Despite previously opposing blatant subversions of justice
In October 201F, Trump praised Comey for reopening the investigation of Hillary Clinton before the election. Later, when Comey documented Trump's efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation, Republicans turned against him. Comey had reported Trump's behavior to the acting deputy attorney
Lindsey Graham embraced Trump and his base, abandoning his previous criticism. Graham's support for Trump earned him love from both Trump and his voters. He believed that aligning with Trump would bring him political advantage in his re-election bid. Many Republican
Lindsey Graham pressured senators to support Trump's national emergency declaration for the border wall. He warned Republicans that they would pay a price if they didn't stand behind the president. Graham's collaboration with Trump went beyond protecting him from accountability; he was
Lindsey Graham received a report from William Barr stating that the Mueller report did not exonerate Trump but did not establish sufficient evidence for prosecution. Despite this, Graham lied and claimed that the report cleared Trump of collusion and obstruction. The full Mueller
Lindsey Graham and other Republicans enabled authoritarianism by serving Donald Trump instead of an idea. They believed that as long as they didn't espouse authoritarian doctrine, they weren't authoritarians. However, authoritarianism emerges in the form of a
Lindsey Graham emphasized the importance of controlling the oil in Syria to President Trump and successfully convinced him to keep troops there. Graham endorsed using the military to seize foreign oil, despite previously condemning the idea. He praised Trump's thinking on the matter and
Lindsey Graham blamed public servants who exposed Trump's extortion, demanded to know the identity of the whistleblower, and believed the Ukraine investigation was part of a plot against Trump. He refused to read witness transcripts, watch hearings, or be a fair jur
Lindsey Graham underwent a transformation during the Trump years, going from selective toleration of the president's abuses to a descent into a polarized worldview that rationalized his devotion to Trump. Graham renounced his previous acknowledgments of the legitimacy of the
Lindsey Graham applauded the pardon of Flynn on Twitter, demonstrating authoritarian tactics that exploit presidential power and shield Trump's accomplices. Graham endorsed Trump's threat to send in troops during protests over police violence, and labeled protestors as domestic enemies. Graham also
Lindsey Graham pledged loyalty to Trump and celebrated him as America's bully. Despite Trump's attacks on the United States, Graham remained loyal. When it seemed Trump would lose the election, Graham had a chance to break free, but couldn't.
Lindsey Graham's corruption and abandonment of principles became evident by November 2020. He had rationalized so much corruption that he was desensitized to it and lost faith in a Trump-free Republican party. To win the next election, Republicans
Lindsey Graham disputed the election's outcome and attempted to overturn it by pressuring officials and endorsing a lawsuit to void the results. He spread misleading claims of fraud and made incendiary remarks, but stopped short of endorsing violence or illegal actions.
Lindsey Graham privately encouraged Trump to continue fighting in the courts and publicly spread falsehoods about election fraud. Despite the dismissal of lawsuits and confirmation of Biden's victory, Graham refused to concede. He dismissed comparisons of Trump to dictators and ridiculed
Lindsey Graham advised Donald Trump to think about making a political comeback after losing the election. However, Trump's incitement of violence against Congress complicated this plan. Graham condemned the violence but avoided mentioning that Trump was responsible for the pressure campaign against
In a press conference, Lindsey Graham expressed concern about the next 18 days and did not mention his private threat to invoke the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. He believed that Trump had engaged in illegal and unconstitutional acts to stay in power and might incite further
Lindsey Graham used the prospect of violence as leverage to protect Trump from the legal consequences of his failed coup. He suggested that if Congress didn't take his advice, something like the Capitol attack would happen again. Graham worked to dissociate Trump from
Lindsey Graham's loyalty to Donald Trump became evident after the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Graham believed that the GOP needed Trump to maintain power and prevent the party's destruction. He made phony arguments against convicting Trump during his
Lindsey Graham's corruption and authoritarian tendencies are examined in this case study. Graham was questioned about his support for Trump and his willingness to overlook corruption. Lessons learned include: authoritarianism often arises in the form of a demagogue, the celebration of
Authoritarianism is a personality trait that enables politicians to justify and excuse corrupt acts. Once an authoritarian gets away with one abuse of power, they will continue to exploit their position. Democracy and power serve as justifications for enabling authoritarians. Rational
A party that abandons its principles becomes a cult, losing independent standards and viewing dissent as heresy. Democracy's culture of compromise weakens as politicians accommodate an authoritarian leader who imposes his will. Civil servants not appointed or elected by the leader are