Stunning. Unlike some Far Right MAGA loyalists, Lindsey Graham is highly intelligent and understands the context and ramifications of MAGA tactics and what they mean going forward long term. Graham knows that a democracy cannot function without agreeing to a baseline of facts. And yet Graham is willing to go full MAGA to wipe out inconvenient facts with the whole “the Media is the enemy and not to be believed” trope that is so damaging. He did some of his most dangerous work on Hannity last night. From The Hill:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday blamed the media for circulating recent allegations that Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker paid a former girlfriend to get an abortion, comparing the claims to the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“If you’re waiting on the media to tell you about what’s going on in Georgia, you’re going wait a hell of a long time.”

“Remember Kavanaugh? Remember how they played the game right at the end? They come up with some letter, take the guy, blindside, another allegation, another allegation trying to drive him out.”

Graham went on to suggest they raise some money to confront the “lies.”

We do remember Kavanaugh, and we remember that it was Lindsey Graham who jumped in just as we were getting to the date in Kavanaugh’s creepy calendars that overlapped with the accusations. More specifically, we remember that the FBI did almost no further investigation despite being asked to do so with the weeklong delay. Kavanaugh has most certainly not been cleared.

As for Walker? The Walker family hasn’t denied these allegations. Even Herschel has acted as if the new-found facts could be real by continuing to say that he’s been redeemed while still holding on to passing denials. Walker is hardly beyond lying about his past.

The Daily Beast is reliable. To the extent anyone doubted the Daily Beast’s reporting, the New York Times confirmed the story and found the request for a second abortion. If Lindsey Graham believes that the NYT is “lying” or making up the facts, it’s on Graham to prove otherwise because the Times is one of two or three of the most reliable factual sources we have.

Graham knows that what he’s saying in denying the media reports has debilitating long-term ramifications for the democratic republic. Yet he’s going forward anyway. It is just another sign that the true MAGAs aren’t bothered by a future that is more autocratic than democratic, and that is what is truly scary.

Lindsey Graham on Hannity about the Herschel Walker allegations: "Remember Kavanaugh?" pic.twitter.com/49FEsqPDvD

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 12, 2022