Thread by @HoarseWisperer

One thing I've found interesting about Lindsey Graham:

While he appears to be a Trump sycophant, he has frequently checked Trump's worst impulses quite cleverly by playing Trump like a fiddle in the media.

He seems to get how Trump's narcissism works.

1/

https://twitter.com/MikeDorning/status/1032662689384939520

Graham never comes right out and tells Trump what to do.

Instead, he says "Well, I don't think he'll do ______ because he's too smart for that." or "I expect he might think about doing _____ but that would end up being a mistake."

2/

Both are smart ways to steer a narc without appearing to have your hands on the wheel.

The latter of the two "I expect he will...but he shouldn't." also draws media attention to a topic which then prompts backlash from other corners without Graham being a harsh scold himself.
3/

There are a few elected officials who seem to get Trump's profoundly dysfunctional way of thinking.

Graham is one of them.

Ironically, people only see the words and then jump on Graham's back thinking he's a total Trump ally... and that helps Graham pull it off.

4/

Graham sucks for all kinds of reasons but he seems to pick his spots when it comes to Trump and then uses a relatively keen narcissist management strategy to kick him back in bounds when he's contemplating a major violation of norms.

Interesting. To me at least.

5/5