"Lindsey Graham has been on a mission from God. The senator from South Carolina said on Jan. 15 that he would take a spontaneous trip to Israel, less than a month after his visit to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ambassador Mike Huckabee to discuss the purported ceasefire in Gaza. This time Graham was here to lobby, as a man alone and a trusted friend, to make sure a devastating war came to Iran's shores as soon as possible."
"Initially, at least, Graham had reason to be optimistic. On Jan. 2, the president promised massive retaliation against Iran for the killing of protesters, but then backtracked, claiming at first that many of the protesters had simply died in a stampede rather than from being gunned down. The same week that he rebuked Iranian security forces, Trump had threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act against protesters in Minneapolis, threatening to send the military to quell demonstrations against paramilitary officers who were themselves killing civilians."
Lindsey Graham traveled to Israel on Jan. 15 to lobby for aggressive action against Iran, following an earlier visit with Benjamin Netanyahu and Mike Huckabee. He positioned himself as a trusted friend advocating that a devastating war reach Iranian territory as soon as possible. Initial optimism stemmed from a Jan. 2 presidential promise of massive retaliation for protesters' killings, but the president later backtracked and offered shifting explanations. The same week included threats to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis and warnings about intervention if mass executions occurred, claims that Iran's prosecutor-general denied. Graham publicly urged larger operations and voiced frustration at delays.
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