Sen. Richard Blumenthal was stunned.
It was February 28, 2025, and he was watching on live television as a crucial bilateral meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky descended into chaos.
Blumenthal knew he needed to call the only person he thought could put it all back together: Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Just hours before the meeting, Blumenthal, a Democrat, and Graham, a Republican, had met quietly with Zelensky at Blair House, just steps from the White House, to prepare the Ukrainian president for his high-stakes sit-down. No matter what happened in the Oval Office, Graham warned, Zelensky needed to remain composed, conciliatory and calm.
That is not what happened.
