Trump has decided who to support in the Senate race in North Carolina, and many members of MAGA are NOT happy about it.

President Trump's decision to endorse South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham's reelection bid has drawn criticism from many members of the MAGA base.

Many conservatives are calling Lindsey Graham a RINO, or Republican in Name Only.

Graham's plans

Lindsey Graham has already announced that he's going to seek his fifth term in the Senate in 2026, although it is widely expected that Graham is going to face a primary challenge from within the Republican Party.

It certainly was no small thing for Trump to go out on a limb and throw his weight behind Graham, who's unpopular enough within the party that there are already plans to primary him.

Graham announced that he was running for office again in 2026 in January of 2025. When he announced, he named the first major hires of his campaign team and advertised the fact that he had already raised over $15,000,000 to put toward a reelection campaign.

Graham's current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Graham and Trump's long, strange relationship.

Graham and Trump did NOT get along when Donald Trump was first entering politics.

Back in December of 2015, Graham called Donald Trump a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot."

In 2016, as both Graham and Trump were seeking to become the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States of America, Graham questioned Trump's mental fitness. Graham said that Trump was a "jackass" who "shouldn't be commander in chief."

Trump responded by calling Graham a "lightweight" and an "idiot," before giving out Senator Graham's private cell phone number to the public. Once Donald Trump was elected to office, however, their relationship seemed to turn for the better. Graham cozied up to Donald Trump, and his popularity among Republicans in his home state increased, helping Graham win reelection in 2020. The positive vibes between them didn't last long, however, with Lindsey Graham publicly criticizing Donald Trump for not accepting the results of the 2020 election.

"From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president, but today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say is count me out, enough is enough," Graham said on the Senate floor.

Now, however, the two appear to be back on good terms. Trump wrote on social media:

"Lindsey has been a wonderful friend to me, and has always been there when I needed him. As the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Lindsey is fighting tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Lower Taxes, and Eliminate Government Waste.

Lindsey is also relentlessly focused on helping us Secure the Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strongly Support our Great Military/Vets, Promote American Energy DOMINANCE, Defend our always under siege Second Amendment, and ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."

Lindsey Graham responded, "President Trump's endorsement means the world to me. I am humbled by his faith in me as a Senator and as a friend. On a professional level, I am proud to have been there at the beginning when President Trump — through sheer force of will —achieved the greatest political comeback in American history. I look forward to being one of the driving forces in the U.S. Senate to enact President Trump's agenda to make America more prosperous and more secure. Thank you, Mr. President."