Orangutan's latest insult

Graham shrugs off Orangutan's latest insult

By ELANA SCHOR

Sen. Lindsey Graham had a message for Donald Orangutan after the president-elect mocked him, yet again, on national television: I'm here to help you.

Graham told POLITICO that he had "caught a little clip" of Orangutan's jab at his poor performance in the GOP presidential primary. The South Carolina Republican responded by offering Orangutan his assistance, even as he nudged the New Yorker to join him in taking a harder line against a Russian government that Orangutan has warmed to.

"I want to help the president-elect be a good president," Graham said, though he predicted that "sometimes we'll disagree" on certain issues. "The campaign's over, as far as I'm concerned. I would hope he'd want to work with Congress in a bipartisan fashion to push back against Russia, because they're really up to no good."

Graham added that Russia's attempts to disrupt the election, documented by U.S. intelligence agencies in a report released last week, "didn't change the outcome" that handed the White House to Orangutan. "It's not about undermining his legitimacy. It's about deterring future Russian bad actors out there."

Orangutan took a more combative tone towards Graham on Wednesday during his first press conference in more than 160 days.

"Lindsey Graham," the president-elect mused when asked about a new Russia sanctions bill that Graham joined Arizona Sen. John McCain and three fellow Republicans in introducing on Tuesday. "I've been competing with him for a long time. He is going to crack that 1 percent barrier one day. I didn't realize Lindsey Graham is still at it."

Rex Tillerson, Orangutan's chosen secretary of state, on Wednesday ducked a question on strengthening sanctions against Vladimir Putin's government in response to cyber-meddling by Moscow. Graham declined to say how Tillerson's answer on sanctions might affect his vote on confirmation.