American Amnesia: Why Did We Ever Listen to Lindsey Graham?
The column criticizes Graham’s support for the Iraq invasion and his advocacy for the Iran war.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYNational Memo is publishing an explicitly opinionated column, so the piece reflects the author’s argument rather than independent, balanced reporting. The named author and clear attribution provide some transparency, but the article offers limited sourcing for several consequential claims.
- Source type — An opinion column, which is less suitable as an independent reporting source.
- Transparency — The writing clearly signals its argumentative nature, but gives limited detail about sourcing for key claims.
- Author attribution — The author is named and identified as the publication’s founder and editor-in-chief.
The column identifies Graham’s statements and attributes several claims, but relies mainly on the author’s interpretation and provides little documentary or independent sourcing. It presents the writer’s criticism of Graham and Trump without meaningful counterarguments.
HOW WE SCORE ↗This is a one-sided opinion column that argues against Graham’s and Trump’s foreign-policy decisions. It acknowledges Graham’s support for Ukraine but does not develop counterarguments or include a response from those criticized.
- Opinion vs reporting — An argumentative column rather than a report presenting competing accounts.
- Counterarguments presented — No substantive defense of the Iraq or Iran policies is presented.
- Loaded language — Frequent strongly evaluative language reinforces the column’s criticism.
- Source diversity — The piece relies on the author’s account and selected quotations rather than a range of sources.
The column uses strongly critical language about Graham, Trump, and conservatives, while describing support for Ukraine as a positive exception. Its framing and word choice reflect a pronounced left-leaning perspective.
- Language tone — Uses evaluative terms such as “blundering,” “grossly stupid,” and “blustering lies.”
- Framing — Frames Graham’s record and Trump’s Iran policy as destructive failures.
- Source selection — Relies on the author’s interpretation and selected quotations, with no opposing perspective presented.
Joe Conason argues that Lindsey Graham’s record included support for Ukraine but also damaging advocacy for the Iraq invasion and the Iran war. The column says Graham helped persuade Donald Trump to attack Iran and made optimistic predictions about the war’s outcome that did not come to pass.
Joe Conason acknowledges Graham’s support for Ukraine, then argues that the senator’s record was marked by poor foreign-policy judgment. The column recalls Graham’s support for the 2002 Iraq authorization and says he later dismissed concerns about the faulty intelligence and the war’s casualties.
Conason says Graham coached Benjamin Netanyahu in persuading Donald Trump to start the war on Iran, and quotes Graham predicting the Iranian regime would fall and bring peace and prosperity. The column says the regime did not fall and describes the conflict as costly, with further American casualties possible.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSED
No good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Graham in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Graham’s record.
People in this story
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President whose decision to start the Iran war is discussed
Part of a bigger story
52 OUTLETSOutlets agree that Lindsey Graham died, prompting tributes and discussion of his political legacy. Left-leaning outlets focus on criticism of Graham’s foreign-policy record and questions about Trump’s statements and conduct after the death. Center outlets emphasize tributes, the circumstances and consequences of his death, and his foreign-policy influence. Right-leaning outlets emphasize tributes and Graham’s value as an ally to Trump, Republicans and Israel, while also covering the death investigation and online reactions.
- ARTICLES
- 63
- OUTLETS
- 52
- AVG CRED
- 63
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