Senator Says He Manipulated Trump, 79, into War

Sen. Lindsey Graham is openly taking credit for helping steer President Donald Trump toward military conflict with Iran — even revealing the unusual tactics he used to convince the president to strike.

In interviews describing the run-up to the conflict, the South Carolina Republican said he spent months lobbying Trump to take military action. His efforts included conversations with foreign leaders, private meetings with Israeli intelligence officials, and a persistent campaign to keep the issue in front of the president.

Graham even admitted he tried to influence Trump through a word-association game meant to frame the moment as historic.

“I say Franklin Roosevelt, what do you say?” Graham told the Wall Street Journal, referencing the famous World War II-era quote about fear.

The remark was meant to spark a conversation about leadership during wartime — and, according to Graham, it worked.

Graham said the idea of confronting Iran militarily began shortly after Trump’s 2024 election victory. During a round of golf, he reminded the president that he had already dismantled the Obama-era nuclear deal with Tehran.

Now, Graham argued, Trump had a chance to finish the job.

The senator said he repeatedly warned Trump that Iran would continue developing weapons if the United States did not intervene. When the president later ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, Trump declared the sites “totally obliterated.”

But Graham continued pressing the case that Iran remained a threat.

To gather more information, he made several trips to Israel and held meetings with members of the country’s intelligence community.

“They’ll tell me things our own government won’t tell me,” Graham admitted.

Graham also revealed he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about how to convince Trump — who frequently describes himself as the “Peace President” — to support military action.

At the same time, Graham said he contacted Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to prepare him for possible U.S. strikes.

“I went to MBS to say, ‘OK, I think this is going down,’” Graham said.

Behind the scenes, Graham said he also coordinated messaging with retired Army Gen. Jack Keane and conservative commentator Marc Thiessen. Both men appeared frequently on television and wrote opinion pieces warning about Iran’s growing threat.

Trump reportedly shared some of Thiessen’s articles on Truth Social, including one arguing that Iranians themselves could eventually serve as “boots on the ground” in a conflict against their own government.

Graham said the trio regularly compared notes after speaking with Trump.

“There were not a lot of other voices,” he said, describing their effort to push the president toward military action.

Not everyone inside Trump’s political orbit supported the strategy.

Some members of the president’s populist base have long opposed foreign wars, especially after Trump campaigned heavily on promises of avoiding new conflicts.

One senior White House aide reportedly described Graham as an “annoying crazy uncle” who repeatedly showed up at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to push for war.

Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee aligned with the MAGA wing of the party, offered even harsher criticism.

“Lindsey hasn’t seen a fist fight he hasn’t wanted to turn into a bombing raid,” Burchett said.

Graham brushed off the backlash.

“What are they going to do to me?” he said.

The war, launched by Trump last weekend, has already claimed lives on both sides.

Six American service members have been killed so far. More than 1,300 Iranians have reportedly died in the fighting.

Trump has acknowledged the risks. When asked by Time magazine whether Americans should be concerned about possible retaliation inside the United States, the president responded bluntly.

“I guess.”

Despite the criticism and growing casualties, Graham says he has no regrets about his role in pushing the United States toward war.

“What I don’t understand is why more people don’t do it,” the senator said. “Try to shape these events. This is a moment of world history here. Just jump in the deep end of the pool.”