Seawright argued that the transition was driven by a desire to maintain political influence.
"He felt like he had to remain relevant and remain at the forefront of the conversation at top of mind.
He had to, in some cases, strengthen his position within the party, but also with the leaders in charge, and in many ways he served as a translator for Trump, like a liaison, if you will," added Seawright.
However, close associates view Graham's shifting alliances as standard political pragmatism. "I don't think it was a change.
He would tell you to your face, look, to wield power, you gotta be close to power.
He had a real political nose for where power was, where it resided, and so he got close to McCain because that was a power node.
He got close to Trump because that power node.
A lot of that was based on his growing up in a very simple setting, a pool hall, and so he got a nose for people and who was the alpha in the room and where was the power and how do you disarm this person, how do you calm the situation?
I don't think that that was a case of two different people.
It was a continuation of his desire to be relevant," said Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina governor.
Many conservative voters in the state accepted Graham's strategic decisions as necessary. "He knew how to play the game.
Politics, that's the game, so he did what he had to do.
He believed in the Republican party and Donald Trump was leading the Republican party so he knew where the bread was buttered," said Miriam Rhett, a 72-year-old retired estate agent.
Even political rivals recognized Graham's work ethic. "He was always a mixed bag of politics.
You loved him and you hated him and it could all be in the same month.
But although I'm a Democrat and Lindsey was a Republican, I was always impressed with his constituent services.
It's amazing to think how much time he actually spent on the job.
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He was 100% a senator for the state of South Carolina," said Roger Kirby, a state representative.
