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InI’ll Take Your Questions Now, a memoir about her time asDonald Trump’s press secretary andMelania Trump’s chief of staff and longtime spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham calls the South Carolina lawmaker “Senator Freeloader.”
Grisham writes that Graham, a frequent guest at Trump’s properties, seemed to relish the perks that come with being a pal of the president.
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“He would show up at Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster to play free rounds of golf, stuff his face with free food, and hang out with Trump and his celebrity pals,” she writes.
In aninterview with Newsmaxon Tuesday, Graham chuckled at her descriptions. “Apparently, she’s implying that the only reason I want to be around President Trump is because of the food,” the senator said, telling interviewer Rob Schmitt, “I’ll let you determine if that’s why I spend time with the president because I need my next meal.”
Though Graham said his “appreciation for President Trump includes the food,” he added that it goes “much beyond that.”
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Graham, 66, has repeatedly changed his tone on Trump, alternately denouncing and defending his actions.
He once one of Trump’s harshest critics, even calling then-candidate Trump"a race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot"in 2015. But after Trump’s election in 2016, Graham became an avid supporter of the president, who praised the senator,endorsed him during his reelection campaignin South Carolina and often invited him for rounds of golf.
“He seemed almost schizophrenic. Some days he would be one of Trump’s most vigorous defenders; other days he was a harsh critic,” Grisham writes of Graham in her book. “People around the president would tell him that he couldn’t trust Graham, but Trump seemed to like him for whatever reason and I often wondered if he sought Lindsey’s approval.”
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In an earlier statement to PEOPLE,Melania Trump’s office said of Grisham’s book: “The intent behind this book is obvious. It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as Press Secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.”
source: people.com
