If you’re a Republican lawmaker under investigation for criminal activity, there’s always an at least temporary solution: ignore and distract. The same day that Matt Gaetz — who the FBI are examining for human trafficking — tried to become the face of the #FreeBritney movement, Lindsey Graham, who in February was part of a probe into the GOP’s attempt to influence Georgia’s election last November, had an even more random idea: come to the aid of Chick-fil-A.
On Wednesday, the South Carolina senator seized upon a Fox News report, which revealed that almost 200 students at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana signed an open letter, calling on the school to stop the friend chicken chain from opening a brick-and-mortar on their campus. Their reason? The company infamously donates to what the letter deemed “queerphobic” causes.
Well, Graham wasn’t having it. “I have always thought @NotreDame was one of the greatest universities in America, if not the world,” Graham wrote on Twitter. “It’s disappointing to hear some ND students and faculty want to ban Chick-fil-A from doing business on campus because they disagree with the values held by the Chick-fil-A founders.”
Graham, who spends his days doing things like robotically discussing how much he misses the 45th president, promised action. “I want everyone in South Carolina and across America to know I have Chick fil-A’s back,” he said, referring to something happening many states away from the one he represents. “I hope we don’t have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for. Great food. Great service. Great values. God bless Chick fil-A!”
I want everyone in South Carolina and across America to know I have Chick fil-A’s back.
I hope we don’t have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for.
Great food.
Great service.
Great values.God bless Chick fil-A!
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 14, 2021
It was a leftfield outburst, and it left a lot of people scratching their heads. Some wondered if the company was one of his biggest donors or something.
https://twitter.com/smotus/status/1415414934972682240
Some wondered what exactly he could even do.
https://twitter.com/GaryLegum/status/1415423006298488836
And others wondered if he, as a lawmaker presiding over a country in turmoil, has more important things to do.
This is the dumbest fucking tweet I’ve ever read. The world is fucking burning and @LindseyGrahamSC is declaring his devotion to a chicken sandwich company. I hate politics and I hate politicians. https://t.co/uzPn3ZkX9D
— Marie Connor (@thistallawkgirl) July 14, 2021
I know we all stopped watching as much after yer man lost the election but there’s an actual US Senator threatening to go to war for great food, great service and the “principles” of a fried chicken restaurant. https://t.co/qfDRpyavnT
— Karl Brophy (@KarlBrophy) July 14, 2021
There has never been a political party this wholly focused on low-brow B.S. There's a pandemic, a climate crisis and widespread income inequality, but this mope is all-in on a damn self-righteous fast-food chicken chain. Unreal. https://t.co/2PZ0b4nSlb
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) July 14, 2021
Hard to get more American than "I will go to war for the principles of this fast food chain" https://t.co/9bz37NKcwp
— Sturgeon's Law (@Sturgeons_Law) July 14, 2021
BREAKING: Lindsey Graham vows to die on homophobic hill https://t.co/Jk8QDHKVmz
— Dylan O'Brien (@dylanobrien) July 14, 2021
Lindsey Graham vows to "go to war" for Chick fil-A. He wouldn't lift a finger to stop a violent insurrection, but he could kill for a chicken sandwich
— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) July 14, 2021
There is no molehill too small for Lindsey Graham to die on. https://t.co/gF57913v0n
— Jennifer Wright (@JenAshleyWright) July 14, 2021
Now, if Graham had said he’d go to war for Popeyes, the superior chicken chain, that’d be another story.