Watch: Lindsey Graham reminisces about being 'afraid' of Donald Trump

United States Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) spoke at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday and shared his thoughts about what life was like under former President Donald Trump.
“You know what I liked about Trump? Everybody was afraid of him, including me," said Graham, who during the 2016 campaign cycle repeatedly criticized Trump and insisted that he should never be elected.
"If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it," Graham tweeted on May 3rd, 2016.
\u201cIf we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.\u201d— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham) 1462309410
But once Trump became the commander in chief, Graham's tune changed, a fact upon which he touched in his speech.
"The Chinese ambassador came in and said, 'we're trying to figure out Trump,'" Graham continued, recalling, "I said, 'take a number and get in line."
Graham then added, "but here's one thing I can tell you about him. Don't cross him. Don't you miss that? Don't you miss an America that people respected and were a little bit afraid of?"
Watch below via The Recount:
\u201c\u201cYou know what I liked about Trump? Everybody was afraid of him, including me.\u201d\n\n\u2014 Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at \u201cFaith and Freedom Coalition\u201d conference in Nashville, Tennessee\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
Responses to Graham's rhetorical questions added up to a resounding 'no,' and users on social media were quick to note that the Republican Party has almost entirely succumbed to Trump's influence.
Graham, meanwhile, very openly admitted the "quiet part out loud."
\u201c@therecount Quiet part out loud.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@BillAllenScoop @therecount Still is\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount @TheNakedParty Everybody was also afraid of Hitler. So there\u2019s that.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount That\u2019s not a reason to like someone. That\u2019s a reason to seek therapy.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount \u201cYou know what I liked about the Uvalde shooter? Everybody was afraid of him, even the cops.\u201d\n\nSee how bad that sounds, @LindseyGrahamSC?\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount The epitome of good leadership in the Republican Party is fear. Sad times.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount So we're supposed to 'fear' our President? Geesh\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount Admitting everyone in your party is spinless is a weird flex, but ok.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
Others pointed out that people were scared of Trump, but not for the reasons that the Senator was implying.
\u201c@therecount They were afraid because he was (is) nuts and unpredictable, not because he was (is) respected nor knowledgeable diplomatically. Huge difference.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount I'm afraid of Black Widow spiders, but that doesn't mean I want one to be president.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount Except every world leader cause they knew they could give him platitudes and he would be their lap dog\u2026.\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount It\u2019s that\u2019s the perfect definition for an autocratic/dictator\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
\u201c@therecount *everybody on whom Trump has kompromat\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1655483811
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