Lindsey Graham Rages Against Trump on Syria, Suggests He is Violating Oath of Office: ‘Putting His Presidency at Risk’
Senator Lindsey Graham’s relationship with President Donald Trump can best be described as a pendulum that swings both ways.
During the 2016 Republican primary race, the then-presidential hopeful was hyper-critical of the eventual president, but as a leading figure in a Republican-led Senate, Graham became a close ally and frequent defender of all things Trump.
Following Trump’s recent unilateral decision to withdraw U.S. military aid from Kurdish fighters in Northern Syria, Graham has apparently returned to his role of harsh critic of the commander in chief.
In a stunning phone call with Axios’ Jonathan Swan Tuesday night, Graham called out Trump’s plans, suggesting that he’s violating his oath of office to protect the nation against all enemies and putting his presidency at risk.
Here, via Axios, are some stunning quotes from Swan’s interview with Graham:
“This is worse than when Obama left Iraq, because you’ve got so much information as to what happens. This would be a game changer to our national security. This would pave the way to the re-emergence of ISIS.”
“If I hear the president say one more time, ‘I made a campaign promise to get out of Syria,’ I’m going to throw up.”
“He took an oath of office to protect the nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. There’s no bigger enemy to our nation than ISIS. And there’s no way we can protect the country from radical Islam without partners like the Kurds.”
“His duty as commander-in-chief, I believe, compels him to act honorably by the Kurds, and it is impossible for Turkey to go into Syria and not create a devastating ripple effect, no matter what the president says to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan.”
“Nobody besides Trump believes the president’s claim that the U.S. is not abandoning the Kurds.”
Trump’s announcement to pull aid from a group who has been battling ISIS forces has drawn bipartisan condemnation, though Trump has argued it is consistent with his pledge to bring troops home.
Graham’s vocal criticism — along with other GOP lawmakers — represents a crack in support from Republicans who have, for the most part, walked lock-step in support of Trump’s policy and have consistently defended his decorum-flouting behavior.
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius also spoke to Graham on Tuesday night, who told him by phone that after the recess he intends to rally votes to have Turkey sanctioned for the invasion of Syria.
Given an impeding impeachment inquiry, combined with a Democratic majority in the House, presidential support among Senate Republicans has never been more important. It’s not a good sign for an embattled White House to have such a loyal supporter like Graham level such intense charges.
