By Hedelberto López Blanch* / Special Collaboration for Resumen Latinoamericano.
One of the most aggressive far-right politicians in the United States and a close friend of convicted former President Donald Trump, died suddenly this Saturday, July 11, while still serving in the Senate.
NBC News reported that emergency services responded to a call about a “cardiac arrest” at the politician’s home.
Lindsey Graham became one of Trump’s closest allies, speaking with him frequently and accompanying him on the golf course. He advised him on foreign policy issues, such as Iran and Russia, and the day before his death, he had announced an agreement with the White House to impose another package of sanctions against Moscow.
Trump immediately wrote on his Truth Social account: “Senator Lindsey Graham has passed away. He was one of the finest people and one of the greatest senators I have ever known. He was always working and was a true American patriot. We will miss Lindsey very much.”
There are many figures in American history who have stood out for their aggressive statements and intolerance toward other countries whose governments were not aligned with their extreme ideologies. One such case is that of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who also had a substantial record of corruption.
Since becoming a member of the U.S. Congress more than 30 years ago, and later a senator, he had dedicated himself to promoting wars and threats against different countries, especially against Russia since 2014.
He fervently defended the Iraq War in 2003, even after admitting in statements to the press that it was based on “flawed intelligence,” a suggestive excuse to cover up the lies that justified the invasion.
In a recent interview with NBC News, he asserted that Israel would soon change its military tactics and do in the Gaza Strip what the United States “did in Tokyo and Berlin” during World War II—that is, justifying the genocidal bombings against Palestinians and even the use of a possible nuclear bomb.
“I think Israel has concluded that it cannot achieve the goal of ending the war with Hamas, which would be satisfactory for Israel’s security. Therefore, what they will do in Gaza is take the territory by force and then start from scratch, offering a better future for the Palestinians,” he added.
Several sources and media outlets claim that, as one of the most radical warmongers in Washington, he has used US-backed armed conflicts for his own enrichment and has supported wars not only in Iraq but also in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.
Former CIA officer L. Johnson stated in an interview on July 6 of last year that Ukrainian informants had provided US law enforcement with evidence of the involvement of several American politicians, including L. Graham, in the embezzlement of funds intended by Washington for Kyiv.
Elon Musk, who served as Secretary of Government Efficiency during the first months of Donald Trump’s presidency, accused Graham of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in hotels in Ukraine. This occurred after a news report revealed a significant transfer from the State Department to an organization in that country.
Throughout his political career, he has repeatedly shifted his position in key areas of US domestic and foreign policy, depending on his own circumstances. In the 2016 presidential election, he spoke out against Trump, but after Trump’s victory and first term, he quickly sought another position.
And abusing his position, during the 2020 presidential campaign, he pressured the political leadership of the state of Georgia to overturn the mail-in ballot results that gave the victory to opposition candidate Joe Biden in an attempt to benefit Trump.
Now, the far-right senator had introduced a so-called “flagship bill,” along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, that proposes imposing 500% tariffs on imports from countries like China, India, and Brazil that purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products. This measure, like a boomerang, could isolate the United States and cause enormous economic damage.
Graham had become the mouthpiece of the far-right in the United States, and his fury had intensified as he watched Washington lose influence on the international stage. Apparently, his somewhat hidden history of corruption would no longer land him in the dock, as happened with the infamously “powerful” and corrupt Cuban-American Senator Bob Menendez.
IMAGE CREDIT: Cover photo: Heraldo de Aragón
(*) Hedelberto López Blanch is a renowned Cuban journalist. He writes for the newspaper Juventud Rebelde and the weekly Opciones. He is the author of “Cuban Emigration to the United States,” “Secret Stories of Cuban Doctors in Africa,” and “Miami, Dirty Money,” among others.
[ SOURCE: RESUMEN LATINOAMERICANO Y DEL TERCER MUNDO CUBA / EN RESUMEN ]
