Former Steve Bannon, who served as chief strategist in the White House under Donald Trump, on Tuesday called for US Senator Lindsey Graham to be registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli government, intensifying a growing conservative backlash over the senator’s strong support for Israel.
Speaking on his podcast “War Room,” Bannon said Graham should be “pulled off television,” adding: “This is dangerous… because you have guys like Lindsey Graham and dozens more that are doing the wrong thing.”
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Graham pushed back against critics of his position, saying: “To all the antisemites, to all the isolationists… I’m not with you, I’m with Israel, I will be with Israel to our dying day.”
Graham also urged Arab Gulf states to join military action against Iran. Addressing regional partners, he said: “What I want you to do in the Middle East, to our friends in Saudi Arabia and other places, [is] step forward and say, ‘this is my fight too, I join America, I’m publicly involved in bringing this regime down.’”
In a post on X, Graham questioned the value of a US defence agreement with Saudi Arabia following the evacuation of the American embassy in Riyadh, writing: “Why should America do a defence agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”
Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, responded to Graham’s remarks during an interview with Sky News, saying: “He flip flops so much, it’s actually entertaining.”
“On one hand, he says he will never set foot in Saudi Arabia. The next day, he’s here signing multimillion-dollar deals,” Abbas said, adding: “I don’t think anyone here takes him seriously.”
He also warned Graham to consider the consequences of deeper Gulf involvement in the conflict. “Do you really want Saudi Arabia involved in this war putting our oil facilities at risk, or do you want us stabilising the energy markets?”
Graham, however, continued to press for stronger regional participation, warning that inaction would carry a price. “Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it?” he said. “Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
His remarks also drew criticism from conservative commentator and podcast host Megyn Kelly. In a post on X, Kelly questioned whether Graham was overstepping his authority as a senator, writing: “When did Lindsey Graham become our president?”
She also said Graham had threatened Lebanon, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region and Spain within a 24-hour period.
“The problem with Graham isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him,” Kelly wrote in another post.
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