Since about the time that John McCain retired from public life, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has morphed from McCain’s Minime–and the subject of mockery on these pages–into something of a take-no-sh** firebrand. His conduct in investigating the backstory of how the FBI came to use the Steele (or Trump) dossier to kick off an investigation of President Trump’s campaign staff has been exemplary and his defense of Brett Kavanaugh from the Dianne Feinstein’s unethical smear campaign was commendable.

Back in October, shortly after the Kavanaugh hearings, the left began openly saying that Lindsey Graham is gay (NTTAWWT).

If you’re wondering why Republicans took a sick day today, it’s probably because it’s #NationalComingOutDay. Looking at you @LindseyGrahamSC

— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) October 11, 2018

Why they thought this was a productive idea is anyone’s guess. Then, just this week, the drumbeat started again.

A Republican just told me that he doubts @LindseyGrahamSC is kowtowing to Trump (and indirectly Putin) because he’s being blackmailed over his sexual orientation (an open secret) or even financial corruption. Rather, he thinks it probably involves some pretty serious sexual kink.

— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) January 13, 2019

Head of @TheDemCoalition was told Lindsey Graham is likely being blackmailed by Trump or Russia w/ a ‘serious sexual kink.’ Jon Cooper, who is openly gay, says his concern about Graham has nothing to do w/ his sexual orientation but rather blackmail fear.https://t.co/pzwOkFW8cQ

— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) January 16, 2019

Oddly enough, this was basically ignored on the left. And because it was ignored, it reappeared again, naturally, on MSNBC. This is the set up.

Jeremy Bash, David Jolly and Eddie S. Glaude Jr. joined the show to discuss the backlash Iowa Republican Steve King has received over the last week following comments he made about white nationalism. The conversation then veered to the president’s rhetoric — which the panelists said should also be condemned at times.

Jolly began, “The Steve King issue is easy. The Republican who says what’s wrong with white supremacy. The harder one is confronting the President of the United States who refers to immigrant countries as s-hole countries. Who says Central Americans are invading us with crime and disease. Who takes a swipe at Native Americans. Who makes the Charlottesville comment. And who attacks NFL players for engaging in social justice advocacy. Where was Kevin McCarthy? Where was Mitt Romney? Nowhere to be heard.”

“Before Don got elected, Lindsey Graham called Donald Trump a racist, xenophobic bigot. That is Lindsey Graham’s words,” he continued. “I doubt Lindsey Graham could tell you Donald Trump’s had a change of heart in the last 24 months, I bet the change of heart has been with Lindsey Graham, not the president.”

The Ruhle chimes in:

Clearly, unambiguously she is pimping Cooper’s “serious sexual kink” blackmail story.

If you want an explanation for Graham’s sudden change from Gang of 8 honcho to firebreather, consider this. He’s up for election in 2020. South Carolina went for Trump by 14 points in 2016. Being pro-Trump is the best way to ward off a primary challenger. Plus, I suspect that Graham has seen a lot more about what happened behind the scenes with the FBI and CIA colluding to try to bring down the Trump presidency and in makes him angry. I can’t imagine the stupid clown games Feinstein pulled during the Kavanaugh hearing has endeared them to him, either.

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