Fact Check: Did Lindsey Graham once say nominating Trump would get them destroyed?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following the death of former senator and President Donald Trump’s closest ally, Lindsey Graham, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Graham once opposed the nomination of Trump, saying that it would get them destroyed. The post has sparked questions and speculation. Let us analyze the origins of the claim and fact-check it.
Claim: Lindsey Graham once tweeted against Donald Trump
The rumor spread as a screenshot purportedly showing a post by Graham on his official X account, dated May 2016.
The alleged tweet states, “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.”
The screenshot suggests that Graham once opposed Trump's nomination as a presidential candidate, stating that doing so would get them destroyed.
The claim garnered mixed reactions from social media users, with many expressing disbelief that Graham was once against Trump, while a few others called the tweet fake and fabricated, calling for a fact check.
Fact Check: True, Lindsey Graham opposed Donald Trump's nomination
The tweet indeed is true and was posted on May 3, 2016, on X, back then called Twitter, ahead of the presidential election.
The tweet suggests a divide among Republicans on whether to support Trump after the businessman secured the party's presidential nomination back then.
Some even took to social media to disavow their membership in the party by burning their voter registration forms, while others started to fall in line behind the candidate, saying Trump was vastly preferable to Hillary Clinton, the then Democratic nominee.
Graham’s tweet came after Ted Cruz dropped out of the race, effectively clearing a path for Trump.
Graham's relationship with Trump changed a lot over time. While he was one of Trump's toughest critics, calling him a "race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot," after Trump took office, Graham became one of his closest supporters, strongly backing Trump’s foreign policy and judicial appointments.
Donald Trump leads tribute after Lindsey Graham dies at 71
Trump led tributes to Senator Lindsey Graham after the South Carolina Republican died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
His death on Saturday, June 11, stunned many in Washington, particularly because the veteran senator had remained active in public life and was engaged in international diplomacy only days earlier.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!” Trump wrote.
