Lindsey Graham's Greeting To Kamala Harris Is Raising Eyebrows

More than halfway into November President Donald Trump has not yet conceded the election, and the media has been scrutinizing every move of his allies in hopes of answering the question: Do these high-up GOPers also believe that the results are still up in the air, or have they accepted that Joe Biden indeed will be our nation's 46th president? Case in point: South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a fierce champion of Trump, who has been accused of telling Georgia's secretary of state not to count all of his state's votes (per Politico). In a stunning turn of events, Graham was caught giving Kamala Harris a fist-bump on the Senate floor. The Hill characterized this gesture as being an example of a GOP senator "congratulating" the incoming VP-elect. Indeed, Oklahoma's James Lankford, South Dakota's Mike Rounds, Nebraska's Ben Sasse, and the other South Carolinian senator, Tim Scott, explicitly said words to that effect. 

But Graham said his fist bump was just a pleasantry, not an acceptance that Harris had anything to be congratulated about. "Just saying hello — I haven't seen her in a while," Graham told CNN's Manu Raju (via Twitter). "If it works out and they make it, I told her I wish her well and try to work where we can. We will know here in a month or so or less." So... perhaps we can now cross Graham's name off of the "sheer election denial" list?

As ardently as Lindsey Graham may be crusading to prevent Trump from leaving the Oval Office, that does not necessarily mean he has zero respect for the incoming administration. In fact, in the past, Graham has had some positive things to say about the Democrat from California, describing Kamala Harris as a force to be reckoned with. "She's hard-nosed. She's smart. She's tough," he told the Washington Examiner. 

That being said, any semblance of a collegial relationship between Graham and Harris has angered Republicans and Democrats alike on Twitter. "Why on EARTH would you fist bump that horrid woman (using that term loosely) Kamala Harris?!?!?!" one appalled voter tweeted. Meanwhile, others thought Graham's gesture was hypocritical. "Did Lindsay Graham actually fist bump Kamala while trying to overturn the election...?" posted another. But one voice of reason put their exchange into perspective. "I'm sure many of us who have worked in offices know when to be cool to people you absolutely despise," piped in someone who has clearly learned that asking an annoying coworker about their weekend is an unofficial job responsibility.