Back in 2017 Lindsey Graham was not the Trump lapdog he is today. His opinion that Trump was categorically unfit for the office of President was shared loudly and often while he campaigned for the Republican nomination. It is the center piece of a couple of anti-Trump ads in 2020. Just as clips of him extolling Joe Biden’s virtues and excoriating Trump is one of the best vote for Biden ads I’ve seen. What happened to Lindsey Graham? In a word: extortion.
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Nobody knows what was said at the meeting because nobody except Trump, Putin and Putin’s interpreter were there.  Trump claimed to have pressed Putin on whether Russia interfered.  He denied it.  Trump believed him.

I guess Trump’s still working on forming that  “impenetrable Cyber Security unit” to protect us from future computer intrusions.  Meanwhile, Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin agent who  promised dirt on Hillary Clinton during last year’s campaign.

Politicians in both parties see this for what it is.  Appeasement that like Neville Chamberlain’s Peace in Our Time treaty, makes him more likely not less likely to do it again.  Lindsay Graham, the Senator for South Carolina said, “The more he talks about this in terms of not being sure, the more he throws our intelligence communities under the bus, the more he’s willing to forgive and forget Putin, the more suspicion,” ……And I think it’s going to dog his presidency until he breaks this cycle.”……

Lawmakers in both parties said Mr. Trump had appeased the Russian president by failing to insist that he was responsible for the breach or threaten any consequences, and empowered him by appearing willing to partner on a cybersecurity effort to prevent future incursions.

“You are hurting your ability to govern this nation by forgiving and forgetting and empowering,” Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina.”