Lindsey Graham's Democratic challenger accuses him of "comical" hypocrisy
Lindsey Graham. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Jaime Harrison, the former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, has announced a campaign to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in 2020, using his launch video to accuse Graham of "comical" hypocrisy for going from an ardent critic of President Trump in 2016 to one of his staunchest allies.
Context: In 2016, Graham opposed Trump's nomination, calling him "a kook," "not fit to be president," and "a xenophobic, race-baiting, religious bigot." He has since become one of Trump's most loyal defenders in Congress.
Why it matters: Harrison, the first African American chairman of the state's Democratic party, doesn't believe Graham's re-election is a "slam dunk" because he may have alienated moderate voters and conservative Democrats by strongly aligning himself as a Trump ally in Congress, per the Washington Post. A Democrat has not held a Senate position in South Carolina since 1998, the Post notes.