A new report about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s behind-the-scenes role in pushing for a potential U.S. strike on Iran has sparked outrage among some South Carolina residents, many of whom say the revelations raise troubling questions about whose interests their senator is representing.
The controversy stems from a Wall Street Journal report describing Graham’s efforts to advocate for stronger action against Iran. According to the report, Graham traveled to Israel several times in recent weeks and met with members of the country’s intelligence agency while building a case for military action.
The article also claimed Graham spoke directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and advised him on how to present intelligence to former President Donald Trump to persuade him to support a strike on Iran.
Graham himself was quoted as saying Israeli officials would share information with him that the U.S. government would not. The report added that Netanyahu ultimately showed Trump intelligence that convinced him to move forward with the plan.
The allegations quickly circulated online, including in a Reddit discussion among South Carolina residents reacting to a summary of the report. Many commenters expressed anger and disbelief that their state’s senior senator would be involved in advising a foreign leader on how to influence a U.S. president on matters of war.
“A literal traitor to his country,” one commenter wrote in a widely upvoted response.
Others questioned whether Graham’s actions placed American interests behind those of another nation.
“Whose team is he on?” one South Carolina user asked, while another replied bluntly, “Not ours.”
Several commenters said the report reinforced long held frustrations with the veteran senator, who has represented South Carolina in Washington since 2003.
“Once again I look forward to voting for someone else,” one resident wrote, while another said they were tired of defending their state when people elsewhere ask why Graham keeps winning reelection.
Others called for voters to organize and participate in the next election cycle in hopes of unseating the longtime Republican lawmaker.
“Please vote him out this fall,” one commenter urged.
Graham has long been one of the most outspoken advocates in Washington for a tougher stance toward Iran, frequently arguing that the country poses a major threat to U.S. allies in the Middle East.
But the Wall Street Journal report and the reaction it has sparked online highlight how deeply polarizing that advocacy has become back home in South Carolina, where some residents now see the senator’s actions as crossing a line between foreign policy leadership and undue foreign influence.
