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Each Monday, Tommy Tomlinson delivers thoughtful commentary on an important topic in the news. Through these perspectives, he seeks to find common ground that leads to deeper understanding of complex issues and that helps people relate to what others are feeling, even if they don’t agree.

On My Mind: Lindsey Graham Tops The Wall Of Shame Of Trump Enablers From The Carolinas

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks at the Iowa Republican Party's 2015 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines.
Gage Skidmore
/
Flickr
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks at the Iowa Republican Party's 2015 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines.

If they ever write the history of the phrase “too little, too late,” Lindsey Graham ought to get his own chapter.

Here was Graham late Wednesday night, after Donald Trump egged thousands of Trump followers into taking over the United States Capitol in one of the darkest days of American history. The main reason it didn’t become an actual coup is that most of these particular domestic terrorists weren’t interested in much of anything except taking selfies and smoking pot. Like their leader, they act like they know everything but have no clue how to do anything.

So, once the police finally escorted them out – and not in handcuffs, which is a story in itself – the Senate finally went back to work certifying the Electoral College’s vote to make Joe Biden the next president. And only then did Lindsey Graham say this:

“Trump and I, it’s been a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way – oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president. But today … all I can say is, count me out, enough is enough.”

This might be a good time to remember what Graham said in a tweet in May 2016, when Trump was still just running for president: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.”

Trump did get nominated. Then he got elected. And Lindsey Graham, senator from South Carolina, supposedly a man of power and integrity, has spent the last four years running as fast as he could from what he knew was true.

He’s one of many Carolinians who helped enable Trump like bartenders serving a drunk. There’s Mick Mulvaney of Indian Land, South Carolina, formerly Trump’s chief of staff. He resigned Thursday as envoy to Northern Ireland in another chapter of too little, too late.

There’s Mark Meadows of western North Carolina, Trump’s current chief of staff. According to news accounts, he supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the race Trump lost in November. There’s Dan Bishop of Charlotte, one of 12 House members from the Carolinas who voted against certifying the Electoral College results, effectively voting no to a free and fair election.

There’s Franklin Graham, who more than almost anyone else has allowed Trump to wear a phony cloak of Christianity. Franklin Graham’s comments about the takeover of the Capitol included this beauty: “Most likely it was Antifa.”

But I’m not sure all the rest put together did more good for Trump, and more damage to America, than Lindsey Graham. Once, Graham was known as an independent thinker. But under Trump, Graham fulfilled his apparent destiny: He became one of those little birds that eats bugs off the back of a rhino.

For four years, he had a perfect view of what the rhino did to our country. And by the time he hopped off, it was too little, too late.

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Tommy Tomlinson has hosted the podcast SouthBound for WFAE since 2017. He also does a commentary, On My Mind, which airs every Monday.