Weeks before his death on July 11, Senator Lindsey Graham expressed strong criticism of President Donald Trump's approach to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Graham, a longtime advocate for military intervention in Iran, warned that Trump's indecision was undermining earlier gains. In June, he said, "Iran—he's letting this thing slip away.
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We had them on the ropes, and his indecision is coming back to hurt us."
He called for greater pressure on Iran by opening strategic waterways and supporting Israel's military actions.
Graham also stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia and Israel uniting against Iran's influence.
Graham noted that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both respect and fear Trump.
He highlighted Trump's unique approach to Netanyahu, saying, "He will dress [Netanyahu] down in a way that no other Republican president has ever done.
That gives him some credibility in the Arab world."
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The senator framed the ongoing political debate as a contest between isolationism and a more assertive Republican stance.
He declared, "So this was a referendum on isolationism versus 'Lindsey Graham MAGA Trump.'"
Although Graham was critical of Trump during the 2016 campaign, calling him a "jackass" and a "race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot," he later became a close ally, supporting Trump's campaigns in 2020 and 2024.
Graham also criticized Trump's Middle East negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, describing them as "too conflicted" to handle complex diplomacy.
He suggested Secretary of State Marco Rubio should take a leading role in negotiations.
Conservative commentators echoed this criticism, questioning the effectiveness of Trump's business-oriented negotiators in managing crises in Ukraine and Gaza.
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Graham died suddenly in Washington shortly after returning from Kyiv. The preliminary medical examiner's report cited an aortic dissection as the cause of death.
