trump threatened Lindsey Graham to keep him in line?

[ecstatic]

Have you wondered why @LindseyGrahamSC has been defending @realDonaldTrump like his life depended on it? A friend in federal law enforcement told me about a certain threat @realDonaldTrump has made to Graham. It's personal. It's awful. And it's working very well.

Link to tweet

Obviously, Don Winslow's friend could be talking out of his ass. But Graham's 360 is not normal. He even allowed trump to disparage his BFF, McCain, even after McCain's death. If it's true that trump threatened Graham, I wonder how many other Senators/ Congressmen trump has threatened? And what threat is so bad that Graham is willing to betray his country?

[pangaia]

1. Newsies should start asking graham what trump has on him... again and again and again and again....

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. The possibility of being outed perhaps?

It is no secret that there is and NEVER has been a Mrs. Lindsey Graham in all his years in Congress.

[NanceGreggs]

4. I don't think it's any secret ...

... why there's never been a Mrs. Lindsay Graham. 'Outing' him would simply be revealing what's been obvious to most people all along.

[ecstatic]

7. Exactly. It's 2019. Nobody gives a shit if

he's gay or not.

Maybe Graham was hacked by Russians and had illegal or embarrassing material in his email or on his computer.

Still not worth aiding and abetting a traitor, however.

[arthritisR_US]

19. They give a shit if his preference is for

for younger males and not those of his age group.

[mr_lebowski]

21. There ABSOLUTELY are gay folks, ESPECIALLY of his generation ...

That would be mortified if they were 'outed', even if the whole world basically 'knows', as is case with Graham.

Put on top of it the fact that he's a Senator from Southern State?

He grew up in a different time, I'm fairly certain with parents who would've taught him being gay was 100% evil.

Even when 'the times change', people don't always change along with them, even when it's to their advantage (one would think) to do so.

I absolutely believe it's possible Graham could be manipulated by threats of being outed ... which is not to say that he's NOT also got proclivities toward men much his junior, but I wouldn't say that's a requirement ... to extorting him.

Sad as it is, some people would rather die than have 'everyone know', again, esp. people of older generations.

As an aside, wasn't it just yesterday a teen took their own life over being outed on instagram?

[arthritisR_US]

25. Good point on all...I'll just crawl away now.

[mr_lebowski]

56. Didn't mean it like that, mate :)

Intuitively what you're arguing 'makes sense' in this day and age ... but ... people don't always make sense.

[Baitball Blogger]

52. He better start therapy now, because we'll eventually know what it is.

[Baitball Blogger]

51. This is closer to what may be happening.

Probably one of those who masturbated to some video porn, and that porn was gay.

Doesn't matter what we think. It's working on Lindsay, who has been living a double life. The conservative social circles that he operates in will disown him.

[dchill]

16. I'm thinking pictures, witnesses, etc...

I'm also thinking Trump laid this on him during that golf outing, and that the real message was from Putin. As usual, Trump was just the messenger boy. That's my take. The change from critic to acolyte was practically instantaneous.

[2naSalit]

41. +1

[Skittles]

6. believe it or not

not all lifelong bachelors are gay

[AlexSFCA]

14. of course not but graham does seem to have circumstantial attributes

1. never been known to have romantic relationship with a woman
2. holding anti-gay public positions - a common trait of closeted republicans
3. sending gaydars through the roof with his delicate mannerisms
4. His response to rumors about him being gay « To the extent that it matters, I'm not gay'» - phrasing it like this is pretty much admitting that he is. It’s crystal clear what he meant - he is gay but it has no influence on his political positions.

I don’t think that the kompromat is just that. To change quickly like that, it must be something criminal, which very well might be sexual encounters with minors. Think about it, Graham is an accomplice to treason; it must be far more than merely being gay.

[Skittles]

17. oh I very much believe Graham is indeed gay

I just did not care for the assertion that "lack of a Mrs." = gay (NOT that there is anything wrong with being gay)

[True Blue American]

28. No, it is worse.

[octoberlib]

46. "sending gaydars through the roof with his delicate mannerisms" Are you kidding with this?

[cwydro]

49. Sadly, he probably isn't kidding.

Sickening to continue to read this shit here.

[octoberlib]

50. Yes, it is. I'm tired of it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. True.

My very best friend in the whole world is a man who has never married, but who I'm inclined to describe as "a flaming heterosexual".

In his case, it really does come down to the fact that he never met the right woman. In a different version of this life he'd have married and had children and would now have grandchildren, but it never worked out that way.

[Norbert]

30. I have a lifelong friend that never married

Hasn't had a serious relationship with a woman since college. He is as hetrosexual as I am.

[AlexSFCA]

54. but he probably would have answered to a question in a different way

When Graham was asked to address gay rumors, he answered “To the extent that it matters, I am not gay” . He did not say he is heterosexual. It was crystal clear to me that he meant him being gay does not affect his political positions which is unfortunate because it is politics that try to restrict our rights.

[Tipperary]

22. Thank you .

So sick of this crap.

[fleur-de-lisa]

29. I read something several years ago

and now can’t remember the source, but the gist of the story is that Lindsey has a longtime boyfriend who is married to a woman. The boyfriend is in the military and the wife doesn’t know. The story is that Lindsey doesn’t want to harm the boyfriend and his wife.

Surely people who live in South Carolina have heard rumors over the years. I can’t believe they have no clue about this.

[RockRaven]

3. I'm certain Trump would threaten Graham with everything he knows about him...

but it is fucking pathetic that Graham is such a weak coward. What's Trump got? Campaign contributions from Russians? Graham is closeted? So fucking what? That is worth being disgraced in this OTHER way?!

Have some sense of self-worth, you pathetic moist Kleenex!

[Grasswire2]

5. whatever this kompromat is, it can't be worse than being known forever as a TRAITOR..

...to one's country and the constitution.

Bezos taught us what to do about blackmail. Run directly at it with the truth, take your lumps, and be free.

[pnwest]

31. So did David Letterman, remember when he

was being blackmailed by a guy threatening to go public about his being involved with an intern? He owned up to it, gave a serious, eloquent mea culpa - and that was it. Nobody talked about it again, and bad guy went to jail I think. I always loved Dave, and admired how he handled that.

[Garrett78]

8. Graham, though, is one of many Republicans who did a 180. Pompeo, Cruz, etc.

[Patterson]

9. Graham flipped after the infamous golf game with Trump

[True Blue American]

39. Did the golf game

Come before the funeral? If so it would explain Lindsey inviting Jared and Ivanka against McCain wishes.

That alone puts him in the dirty dog house with me. Also, the fact they attended when they were not wanted is so low class I have no expression for that.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Or it could be that Graham is just deeply amoral and cynical

and has attached himself like a remora to Trump because he likes to be where the power is. He’s an authoritarian follower.

[Buzz cook]

24. Bang on there.

The only threat Lindsey or any other republican needs is they may lose their seat. The only incentive they need is tax cuts for their patrons.

[octoberlib]

45. This. As I said downthread he's also up for re-election in a staunch Trump supporting state.

Since Graham's started being Trump's best buddy , his poll numbers have gone from 40% to over 70%. Graham made a comment that he supports Trump because "it's relevant". It's relevant because he's up for re-election and doesn't want to be primaried. Also, he wants to be close to power.

[Funtatlaguy]

11. Young boys supplied by Epstein?

[AlexSFCA]

13. it must be something criminal for him to change like that

so your theory is quite probable. Especially if putin has bulletproof evidence.

[True Blue American]

27. That is a thought.

[Funtatlaguy]

32. Graham just has that creeper look

Like a rogue Boy Scout leader who specializes in a very wrong type of merit badge give and take.

[2naSalit]

42. One of the speculations

at the top of my list.

[NCLefty]

12. Romney was called a "perfectly lubricated weather vane" by someone. I think that works here too.

Hrm.. maybe he's trying to fix Google's second place search-prediction for "lind"? :p

[Jane Austin]

18. Don Winslow the author?

Just curious.

[Maru Kitteh]

20. guy on twitter selling books says what?

Put up, or shut up.

Graham is just being the same jackass he's always been.

[Tipperary]

23. This.

Anyone can say something vague like that. He should know better.

[Funtatlaguy]

33. Have to disagree

When McCain was alive, he was the biggest anti Russian, NKorea, dictator country guy in the Senate.
Something major changed his attitude toward trump

[True Blue American]

40. Agree!

[octoberlib]

47. Yeah, he's up for re-election in a staunch Trump supporting state and when he was

anti-Trump his poll numbers tanked. All Trump had to threaten him with was a primary opponent.

[True Blue American]

26. From the time the camera

Focused on Graham sitting nervously looking all around I began to wonder what was wrong with him. Then I found he had invited Ivanka and Jared to the McCain funeral when John himself and the family made it clear they wanted no Trumps there I knew something was wrong with Lindsey.

His frequent out bursts of sheer rage made it clear he is seething with anger. His rage was so unusual, his turnaround, sucking up to Trump was exactly the same as Trump practically bowing to Putin.

Think about that.

[Funtatlaguy]

34. Exactly. Huge change in him

[smirkymonkey]

63. That's what I noticed as well, not just normal anger coming from him but hysterical rage.

I mean, he's really invested in it with his whole heart and soul. I would guess this is almost a life and death matter for him and not simply somebody threatening to out him as a gay man.

[True Blue American]

64. Much more serious.

[octoberlib]

35. Graham flipped because he's up for re-electioon.

His poll numbers were in the crapper, a GOP strategist said if an election were held right then , Lindsey would lose. After Lindsey started genuflecting to Trump , his polls rose from under 50% to over 70%. SC is a staunch Trump supporting state. It’s the exact same reason Cruz, Sasse etc are now kissing Trump’s ass. They don’t want to be primaried.


Republican politics in SC is dog eat dog and brutal, they take each other down all the time. If Lindsey were gay , I think it would have come out by now , but maybe not, don’t know.

[empedocles]

36. Sessions, said as AG, no one had ever 'talked' to Sessions the way

trump did. There were testimonies of the the mobster way, trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen made threats.

Graham more vulnerable than Sessions. [Lindsey, very articulate, could be a tremendous 'flip', if down the road, he decides to go that way].

[lindysalsagal]

37. Lindsey took the russian money. They're all going down: frump made that clear

here at camp david:

[True Blue American]

38. 4 gone from that group.

Who will ne next?

[OldRed2450]

43. This whole thread is disgusting.

He is gay due to his "delicate mannerisms?" and perhaps he likes younger males? I can't believe this is posted on a democrat board. I'm so disappointed.

[octoberlib]

44. It's democratic but thank you. The homophobia is real.

[True Blue American]

65. I do not think

The homosexual thing has anything to do with what is wrong with Lindsey. No one would care. This is much more serious.

[jcgoldie]

57. A "democrat board"?!?

Its interesting how people out themselves. Enjoy your stay on DU!

[OldRed2450]

58. I'm sorry you don't like what I said.

Is policing my spelling all you have to say on this topic?

[jcgoldie]

59. Oh I agreed with the gist of what you said...

But using “democrat” as an adjective is a slip not a typo.

[OldRed2450]

60. Says you.. and so what?

You attack new people for that? Good Grief!

[jcgoldie]

61. Attack?

Nope just making an observation. Have a nice day!

[OldRed2450]

62. "Enjoy your stay on DU"

That seems like a snide remark or at the least passive aggressive insinuation that I would be banned for writing democrat and not democratic.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

48. Without a doubt.

During the campaign, Trump gave away Graham’s personal phone number on national television and urged his supporters to pester him. Graham himself said Trump was terribly unfit to be president.

It was never more obvious this sudden “friendship” was procured through threats, and probably horrible ones.

[onetexan]

53. I had asked this same question and last week someone reminded me that the RNC was also hacked

so the Russians clearly have blackmail info they're using to blackmail Graham, Moscow Mitch, and others. This is the only conjecture that makes sense to me at this point.

[MineralMan]

55. Tell us what you were told the threat is, Mr. Winslow.

Just lay it all out for us. Why wouldn't you?

Innuendo sucks. If you know something, say something. He's gay? Who cares? It would have to be a lot bigger than that.

[stopdiggin]

66. exactly. tired of the "teaser" game

You have the story? Then tell us the damned story!
Any real evidence you want to share?
Do you know anything .. or don't you?
Stop with the cutsie "oh, it must be something bad .." crap.