Lindsey Graham was my friend.
I loved him like a brother.
I thought I knew him.
I thought I could trust him.
I thought I could count on him.
I thought America was well-served by him.
I was proud to be a supporter.
I was wrong.
I traveled thousands of miles across America with Lindsey Graham. I believed he was a man of courage and conviction like his mentor, John McCain. I thought he believed in the American idea and ideal, but he did not. This will be the first election when the voters of South Carolina—and Americans from every walk of life—get to cast a verdict about the real Lindsey Graham. The one who became complicit as the best friend of a vile and lawless president who has desecrated his office, divided America, incited extremism, stoked racism, and whose incompetence has led to the deaths of more than 180,000 Americans. Lindsey Graham knows Donald Trump is crazy because he has told us that he is. He seeks nothing but personal power and position.
He loves being a Senator—not because of the privilege that comes from fighting for you, but because of the affirmation that comes from the proximity to ultimate power. This is Lindsey’s drug, and it’s bad for you, and it’s bad for us. Lindsey Graham failed his test. His job was to raise his voice in defiance, in dissent, for the high purpose of defending what is right and good in America. Instead, he became a quisling and a collaborator. He is a weak man who does not deserve the honor of sitting in the United States Senate as the representative of the people of South Carolina.
That’s why if we raise one million dollars this week, The Lincoln Project will spend every last penny against this unworthy man in a moment of great crisis. It is one of the great disappointments of my life that Lindsey Graham has chosen Trump over America.
Voters must now choose America over Lindsey Graham. ~ Steve
Steve Schmidt and friend