“Whether you loved him or hated him, nobody can dispute that Lindsey Graham had a significant impact on virtually every foreign policy issue under the sun. This is particularly the case with Trump, who genuinely seemed to care about Graham’s views and often leaned on him to sell his decisions on Capitol Hill,” said Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington, DC-based think tank that advocates for U.S. military restraint.
“But Graham isn’t the only foreign policy hawk with influence in Trump’s Washington. There are no shortage of those. His death doesn’t present a void because others will quickly take his place and lobby for similar policies, from continuing the war against Iran to maintaining an aggressive stance in Latin America,” he said.
DePetris added that Trump “has in essence become one of the hawks.” He noted that Trump attacked Venezuela and captured its leader, Nicolás Maduro, alleging he was responsible for U.S. drug trafficking. Alongside Israel, Trump started a war with Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile program. He has for months been threatening to intervene militarily in Cuba if that country fails to make sweeping economic and political changes.
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