Two days after his sudden death, Sen. Lindsey Graham&#8217;s (R-SC) desk on the Senate floor sat conspicuously empty, save for one item: a glass vase filled with white roses.
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Desk of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the U.S. Senate. <a href="https://t.co/8mcumDh5Eg">pic.twitter.com/8mcumDh5Eg</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076746110996013236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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One by one, Graham&#8217;s colleagues took the floor and offered their tributes to the late South Carolina senator, who died late Saturday after what the medical examiner&#8217;s office revealed was an aortic dissection resulting from cardiovascular disease.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) teared up as he spoke, praising his friend and colleague as he said of Graham, &#8220;I know that I&#8217;m not the only one who finds it difficult to imagine the Senate without Lindsey Graham &#8230; There was no bigger believer in America&#8217;s role in the world. He was confident that the United States could be a force for good, and he gave everything he had to ensuring that we would be.&#8221;
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Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a> tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham: “There was no bigger believer in America’s role in the world.” <a href="https://t.co/o1mjVcPB6b">pic.twitter.com/o1mjVcPB6b</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076753298418172227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) added, &#8220;It&#8217;s a sad day for all of us in the Senate &#8230; Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress.&#8221;
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Sen. <a href="https://x.com/ChuckGrassley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChuckGrassley</a> tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham: &#8220;It&#8217;s a sad day for all of us in the Senate&#8230;Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/rMJqnrPjpB">pic.twitter.com/rMJqnrPjpB</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076749515726487971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Senate Chaplain Barry Black opened the session with prayer, saying, &#8220;Eternal God, as flags fly at half-staff throughout our nation to honor Senator Lindsey Graham, we give you thanks to you for his life and for his years of public service. Lord, we remember with gratitude his commitment to the responsibilities entrusted to him and the many ways he sought to serve the people of this country.&#8221;
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U.S. Senate <a href="https://x.com/Chaplain_Black?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chaplain_Black</a>: &#8220;Eternal God, as flags fly at half-staff throughout our nation to honor Senator Lindsey Graham, we give you thanks to you for his life and for his years of public service.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/KdVWZQDKMX">pic.twitter.com/KdVWZQDKMX</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076745343258038577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In the hallway outside Graham&#8217;s office, a makeshift memorial quickly appeared and began to grow as people left flowers and Post-it notes outside the door.
<div id="attachment_1134213" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1134213" class="wp-image-1134213 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285908371-864x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 13: Sticky notes are left near the office entrance for the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the Russell Senate Office Building on July 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. Graham passed away suddenly over the weekend at age 71 after serving South Carolina in Congress for 31 years, including eight years in the House and 23 years in the Senate. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285908371-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285908371-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285908371-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285908371.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
<div id="attachment_1134215" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1134215" class="wp-image-1134215 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285310945-864x576.jpg" alt="UNITED STATES - JULY 13: A representative from the Kurdistan Communities Assembly lays flowers outside the office of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in Russell building on Monday, July 13, 2026. Graham, who sponsored the Save the Kurds Act, passed away on July 11th. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285310945-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285310945-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285310945-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285310945.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images</div>
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on his podcast, &#8220;The Verdict,&#8221; that Graham had left a vacancy that would be impossible to fill.
&#8220;Who will fill the void? Who will fill Lindsey Graham&#8217;s shoes?&#8221; Cruz asked. &#8220;My answer is nobody. Nobody. The role he played in the Senate, he was universally respected, but also universally liked and even adored by people who disagreed with him passionately.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know a single senator out of 99 other senators who didn&#8217;t genuinely like Lindsey and consider him a friend like all of them, and it was a gift,&#8221; he added.

Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham’s Desk In The Senate: Empty, Save For One Item

Lindsey Graham's Desk In The Senate: Empty, Save For One Item

Congress

Politics

U.S. Senate

South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday appointed Darline Graham Nordone — sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — to serve the remainder of her brother&#8217;s Senate term.
WATCH:
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🚨 IT&#8217;S OFFICIAL: Lindsey Graham&#8217;s sister Darline Graham Nordone officially named interim US Senator from South Carolina after her brother&#8217;s passing
She just walked up to the podium to accept it 🇺🇸
&#8220;Lindsey has always been there for me. Now, I will be there for him.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/YA3YXbOycK">pic.twitter.com/YA3YXbOycK</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2076761308146397471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Darline — little sister — come here please,&#8221; McMaster invited Nordone up to speak.
&#8220;First, I would like to thank everyone who has called and reached out over the past couple of days. I can&#8217;t tell you how much it&#8217;s meant to me and our family,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I know Lindsey was loved and respected by many and I greatly appreciate the memories and even the funny stories that have been shared. These shared experiences and our faith have gotten us through these two very difficult days.&#8221;
Thanking McMaster for selecting her to serve out the remainder of Graham&#8217;s term — &#8220;an honor&#8221; — she added, &#8220;Lindsey has always been there for me. Now, I will be there for him.&#8221;
Nordone&#8217;s name was first floated on Monday morning when President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he believed she would be the right person to fill the vacancy — and that appointing her would be a good way for McMaster to honor Graham&#8217;s legacy.
&#8220;I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina. This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!&#8221; the president wrote.
Following Trump&#8217;s recommendation, the odds on Kalshi that Nordone would be named Graham&#8217;s successor skyrocketed, leaping from 15% at 9:37 a.m. to 94.7% just 17 minutes later. The odds of her being appointed to fill her brother&#8217;s seat were at 97% by 2:00 p.m. The two names making up the remaining 3% were Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette (R-SC) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC).
Indeed, Graham himself said in a 2015 interview that he could think of no one better to &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-recommends-replacement-for-lindsey-graham">represent</a>&#8221; the people of the United States than his little sister. When asked at the beginning of his presidential run about being single, Graham joked that his sister could take on some of the roles typically handled by a first lady.
&#8220;If she took a role on she would be a great representative of our country. I can’t think of a better person to represent our country in an event than my sister,&#8221; he said at the time.
A number of others have voiced their support for Nordone&#8217;s potential appointment, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). Kevin Bishop, who served as communications director for the late South Carolina senator, also said that Nordone would be a great choice.
&#8220;I know Lindsey would be beaming with pride and appreciation if his sister was the one to fill the final few months of his term. He loved her dearly,&#8221; Bishop wrote. &#8220;Darline is accomplished in her own right. She has years of experience in state government leadership. She&#8217;s also a certified optician with a long record supporting government programs for the blind and workforce development.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve known Darline for years. She&#8217;s a wonderful leader, mother, and grandmother. She&#8217;s a first-class person who would represent South Carolina with dignity and honor,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I could not think of a better or more fitting choice. I&#8217;m sure Governor McMaster will give her every consideration and greatly appreciate President Trump and his team for mentioning her as a possible replacement. I certainly hope this happens.&#8221;
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President Trump is right that Darline Graham would be a great choice to fill the remainder of Lindsey&#8217;s term in the US Senate.
I know Lindsey would be beaming with pride and appreciation if his sister was the one to fill the final few months of his term. He loved her dearly.…
— Kevin Bishop (@KevinDBishop) <a href="https://x.com/KevinDBishop/status/2076724545168261125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Her appointment alone makes history, because once she is sworn in, Nordone will be the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Screenshot

Lindsey Graham’s Sister Named Interim Senator — She Accepted Through Tears

Donald Trump

South Carolina

President Donald Trump waded into South Carolina politics on Monday, suggesting to Governor Henry McMaster (R-SC) that he appoint Darline Graham Nordone to finish the current term for her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), after his sudden death over the weekend.
Just hours later, at a Monday afternoon press conference, McMaster agreed that appointing Nordone was &#8220;a good idea.&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsey-grahams-sister-named-interim-senator-she-accepted-through-tears">Nordone</a>, surrounded by South Carolina lawmakers, accepted the appointment through her tears and said that after years of her brother taking care of her, she was honored to have the chance to be there for him.
There is precedent for what&#8217;s commonly known as &#8220;<a href="https://19thnews.org/2022/05/widow-running-office-congress/">widow succession</a>&#8221; in American politics — a phenomenon that has propelled dozens of women into seats in both the House and Senate since 1922 — and Nordone, though Graham&#8217;s sister rather than his wife, is the late senator&#8217;s closest living relative.
Graham and Nordone were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/us/lindsey-graham-sister-darline-nordone.html">always close</a>, she said in a campaign video years ago. She recalled her parents being truly kind people who loved them both, but said that Lindsey was always the one who stepped in to take care of her. He took care of her when she was sick, made sure she was keeping up with her homework, and even taught her to ride her first bicycle.
Both of their parents died within months of each other around the time Lindsey Graham turned 22. Without hesitation, he stepped up to help raise his little sister. While finishing college and then law school, he spent his weekends at home with Nordone, where she was living with an aunt and uncle. When he joined the U.S. Air Force, he made sure that she finished high school and went to college — and officially adopted her so that she could receive military benefits and insurance.
Nordone recalled feeling the weight of being orphaned at just 13 years old: &#8220;[Lindsey] was like ‘I am so sorry, but it’s going to be OK. I’m going to take care of you.&#8217; And he did. He’s always been there for me, no matter what.&#8221;
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The shoes Lindsey Graham leaves behind will be incredibly 
difficult to fill. His legacy is irreplaceable.🕊️🇺🇸💫
There is so much more to a person behind the public figure. 
Here exists the human story.
𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 〜… <a href="https://t.co/t1oLelRLDj">pic.twitter.com/t1oLelRLDj</a>
— April Color (@ColorApril) <a href="https://x.com/ColorApril/status/2076652854710874582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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When Graham launched his political career, Nordone always stood by her brother&#8217;s side. She made the case for him in South Carolina, telling constituents that her big brother wanted to take care of them — and the way he had taken care of her was a perfect example of that.
In January of 2015, Nordone held the Bible while her brother was sworn in by then-Vice President Joe Biden for his third term in the Senate. Biden joked at the time that he and Graham had &#8220;something in common: sisters who are brighter and better looking than we are.&#8221;
Graham sparked laughs around the room when he introduced his niece, Nicole, to Biden, saying, &#8220;He&#8217;s a good man, even though he&#8217;s a Democrat.&#8221;
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January 6, 2015 &#8212; Darline Graham Nordone holds the Bible for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during ceremonial swearing-in with Vice President Joe Biden. <a href="https://t.co/8vB3IvD14z">pic.twitter.com/8vB3IvD14z</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076728275414479060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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When Lindsey Graham announced his run for the White House in 2015, Nordone introduced him.
They were close enough that Graham once joked that Nordone would have to be his First Lady — and in a 2015 C-Span interview, he declared her to be the single greatest accomplishment of his life: &#8220;Of all the things that have happened in my life, her turning out so well is the highlight of it by far.&#8221;
&#8220;He’s kind of like a brother, a father, and a mother rolled into one,&#8221; Nordone said of her brother — and suggested that the sacrifices he made to care for her might ultimately have been part of the reason he never married. &#8220;He was a young man taking on a young girl and teenager to raise. He was just dedicating all of that time to raising me and going to school and trying to get an education. There’s just only so much time in a day.&#8221;
Nordone, whose professional life involved helping people with disabilities find jobs, never ventured into politics herself — but always had that world in her peripheral vision because of her close ties to her brother. She made campaign ads and stumped for Graham around South Carolina and at the Iowa State Fair.
Nordone certainly took a very different path than her brother, eventually becoming director of public information for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department and then working as a commissioner for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which assists state residents who are blind or visually impaired. Still, Graham said in a 2015 interview that there would be no one better, in his mind, to represent the country if it came to that.
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From 2015 interview with C-SPAN, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on his sister Darline Graham Nordone: &#8220;If she took a role on she would be a great representative of our country. I can&#8217;t think of a better person to represent our country in an event than my sister.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/SjkwIV2TAH">pic.twitter.com/SjkwIV2TAH</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076693824454463567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;If she took a role on, she would be a great representative of our country. I can&#8217;t think of a better person to represent our country in an event than my sister,&#8221; he declared.

Sen. Lindsey Graham at the Iowa State Fair

Who Is Darline Graham Nordone, South Carolina’s Next Senator?

Who Is Darline Graham Nordone, The Next Senator From South Carolina?

Media

President Donald Trump reflected Monday on the loss of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), telling the hosts of &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; that he never doubted Graham was there &#8220;because he loved our country.&#8221;
But when it came time for Trump to reveal what he believed was Graham&#8217;s most &#8220;legendary&#8221; moment, there was only one moment that made sense: Graham&#8217;s passionate and unwavering defense of Supreme Court Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flashback-the-lindsey-graham-speech-that-turned-the-tide-for-brett-kavanaugh">Brett Kavanaugh</a> during his confirmation hearings.
&#8220;[Graham] got angry, like he did in the case of Brett Kavanaugh, it was so impactful,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I think it saved &#8230; Brett becoming a Justice. You know, it was just a moment in time when the Democrats got so sick and so angry and so crazy, and they were going to do something very bad.&#8221;
&#8220;And Lindsey went on his tirade, and — it was much more than a tirade — but I think it was one of the great 10 moments of Congress, if you want to know the truth,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;I said that was one of the 10 greatest moments in Congress, and I think you wouldn&#8217;t find 10 other cases where somebody did what he was able to do there. He saved Brett from a very, very unfair decision — they would have turned a man down who was so qualified and such a good man.&#8221;
Graham, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, used his time to defend Kavanaugh — but also to publicly chastise the Senate Democrats who&#8217;d used underhanded tactics to destroy the man and to issue a warning to any Senate Republicans who might have been swayed by their efforts.
After getting Kavanaugh to acknowledge that he and his family had been dragged through &#8220;hell&#8221; when he should have been facing a job interview, Graham laid into Democrats: &#8220;Boy, y&#8217;all want power. God, I hope you never get it!&#8221;
Trump also reflected on his personal friendship with Graham in several interviews and social media posts, announcing on Sunday that all flags across the United States should be lowered to half-staff until Saturday in Graham&#8217;s honor.

President Trump Returns To The  White House After Spending Holidays In Florida

Trump Reflects On Lindsey Graham’s Most ‘Legendary’ Moment

Trump Reflects On Lindsey Graham's Legacy

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he believes the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would be best honored if his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, were to be appointed to serve out the remainder of his term in the U.S. Senate.
Graham died late Saturday night after what his office called a &#8220;brief and sudden illness&#8221; — and what the Washington, D.C., Medical Examiner&#8217;s Office later said was an aortic dissection. Governor Henry McMaster (R-SC) is now charged with appointing someone to replace him for the rest of his current term, which ends in January 2027. An announcement is expected on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.
&#8220;I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina,&#8221; Trump posted Monday on his Truth Social platform. &#8220;This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!&#8221;
President Trump is not alone in his thinking, either. Graham&#8217;s fellow South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, also a Republican, voiced his support for Darline serving out her brother&#8217;s remaining days in the Senate.
&#8220;Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the senate term. After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country,&#8221; he posted on Monday.
And even Graham himself suggested in a decade-old interview that Darline would be a great choice to serve in such a role.
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From 2015 interview with C-SPAN, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on his sister Darline Graham Nordone: &#8220;If she took a role on she would be a great representative of our country. I can&#8217;t think of a better person to represent our country in an event than my sister.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/SjkwIV2TAH">pic.twitter.com/SjkwIV2TAH</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2076693824454463567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;If she took a role on she would be a great representative of our country. I can&#8217;t think of a better person to represent our country in an event than my sister,&#8221; he said.
Graham and his sister have always been close. After losing both parents to illness when he was just 22 years old, Graham took over the role of raising Darline — who was just 13 years old at the time — and making sure that she got through school as well. After he graduated from law school, he legally adopted Darline so that she could receive benefits and insurance while he was serving in the United States Air Force.
In an old campaign ad for the senator, Darline described her childhood and said that even before her parents passed away, &#8220;Lindsey was always the one that took care of me.&#8221;
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&#8220;Darline&#8221; &#8212;
One of several TV spots over the years that featured Lindsey Graham&#8217;s sister
Produced by Graham&#8217;s longtime media consultant Scotty Howell <a href="https://t.co/o1SFKcE7bd">pic.twitter.com/o1SFKcE7bd</a>
— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) <a href="https://x.com/MediumBuying/status/2076461873394823302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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She recalled him helping her finish homework, teaching her to ride her first bicycle, and even caring for her when she was sick.
&#8220;It was hard when we lost my mom and my dad, but Lindsey assured me that he was going to take care of me and he was going to be there for me,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And he did. He never let me down &#8230; He made sure I went to college. To take on that responsibility of raising a little sister, that came from within for Lindsey — and he did a good job.&#8221;
Throughout his political career — from his first days in Congress to his 2016 presidential run — Darline was by his side.
&#8220;Actually, I’m just kind of like devastated right now,&#8221; Darline told The New York Post in a brief phone call on Monday.

Senator Lindsey Graham Makes Announcement On Presidential Run

Trump Recommends Replacement For Lindsey Graham

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took a moment on Sunday to reflect on his friendship with his late colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Graham&#8217;s office had announced his passing overnight, stating that his death had been the result of a &#8220;brief and sudden illness&#8221; — and later reports confirmed that EMTs had been called to his Capitol Hill residence to assist with a man in his 70s who was suffering from cardiac arrest.
While many of Graham&#8217;s fellow senators shared their thoughts via social media, Booker spoke directly to the camera to tell a behind-the-scenes story about his colleague and friend.
WATCH:
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I am stunned by Senator Graham&#8217;s passing, and thinking back this morning about some of the work we did together. My prayers are with his family and all who cherished him. Rest in Peace. <a href="https://t.co/cPUXDQxk1B">pic.twitter.com/cPUXDQxk1B</a>
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) <a href="https://x.com/CoryBooker/status/2076303529182978526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Booker dove right in with a story about his first real interaction with Graham, saying that when he was elected to the Senate, his first priority was to get something done on mass incarceration — and when he talked to colleagues like Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), they all told him that Graham was the guy he wanted on board.
The New Jersey senator said that when he approached Graham, he was initially told to come back later — Graham was in the middle of a contested primary against an opponent he described as &#8220;bat-sh*t crazy,&#8221; and needed to get that behind him before he could do the next thing. So Booker waited, and Graham won his primary — and then Booker came back to see him.
&#8220;I laughed, and came back to him after the primary,&#8221; Booker said. &#8220;And true to his word, he rolled up his sleeves and we went to work. And thanks to him and Dick Durbin and some other Senate heroes, our bill became The First Step Act — after years, two presidents, two Congresses, it became law.&#8221;
Booker went on to describe the scene as the bill was going through final revisions, when he was trying to get one last provision squeezed in about &#8220;children being put in solitary confinement&#8221; — and a White House official assured him that it was not going to happen. The official then proceeded to get Graham on the phone, thinking that the South Carolina senator would give a similar response.
&#8220;So he gets the White House operator to connect Lindsey Graham on the phone, and Lindsey Graham listens for maybe a hot second and then interrupts the guy,&#8221; Booker explained. &#8220;And says, &#8216;Are you kidding me? We need Cory Booker to get this bill done. We can&#8217;t do it without him, give him what he wants.&#8217; And it&#8217;s in the bill.&#8221;
Booker quoted one of the White House negotiators who told him early on in the process that Graham was the political equivalent of &#8220;an unguided missile.&#8221;
&#8220;That, God, you never knew which way he was going to go — whether he would come back and hit you — but when he was aligned, when he would be in the right place at the right time, man, he could get things done that other people couldn&#8217;t and bring a lot of light and new possibilities to the efforts.&#8221;
&#8220;I am stunned at Lindsey Graham&#8217;s death,&#8221; Booker concluded. &#8220;But I pray that he is reunited with his friend [the late Arizona Republican senator] John McCain, that they both are experiencing God&#8217;s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness &#8230; I will miss my — perhaps most unexpected — friend in the Senate, someone with whom I got some good things done.&#8221;

Senate Holds Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings For Ketanji Brown Jackson

The Behind-The-Scenes Lindsey Graham Story A Democrat Just Shared

Dem Senator Praises Friend, Colleague, And 'Unguided Missile' Lindsey Graham

Cory Booker

First Step Act

The Medical Examiner of Washington, District of Columbia, released preliminary details on Sunday after examining the body of deceased Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Graham&#8217;s office shared a statement with several outlets on Sunday afternoon, revealing details about what the ME believed had caused the senator&#8217;s sudden death at the age of 71: &#8220;Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.&#8221;
According to the statement, the findings are preliminary until all forensic testing — including both microscopic and toxicological — has been completed.
&#8220;The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death,&#8221; it read.
Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) is a condition in which plaque — made up of calcium, fatty deposits, and cholesterol — sticks to the interior walls of arteries, causing them to become more narrow and less flexible over time. The restriction of blood flow leads to a number of serious conditions, from high blood pressure and Coronary Artery Disease to heart attacks and strokes.
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and aortic dissection — a tear in the wall of the aorta — is an immediately life-threatening condition characterized by sharp pain in the chest or back. The same condition was responsible for the sudden deaths of actors Alan Thicke in 2016 and John Ritter in 2003.
According to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/12/us-news/lindsey-graham-medics-called-over-chest-pains-heart-attack-before-death/">report</a> published Sunday by The New York Post, EMTs were dispatched to Graham&#8217;s Capitol Hill residence at 8:30 p.m. local time to assist a man who was suffering from sever chest pains. Approximately 25 minutes later, emergency responders confirmed that they were performing CPR on a man in his 70s following a sudden cardiac arrest.
Their arrival, according to the same report, was initially complicated by a dead-bolted door — one that the unidentified 911-caller had said was likely to be unlocked. The caller was reportedly en route from Baltimore, Maryland, to Graham&#8217;s location at the time the call was made.
Graham was transported from his residence to George Washington University Hospital at approximately 9:30 p.m., and within a few hours, his office had published a statement confirming his death from a &#8220;brief and sudden illness.&#8221;
President Donald Trump offered his thoughts on the matter almost immediately, and even stepped in to do the &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; interview Graham had been scheduled to do on Sunday morning — but when asked about Iran, he made it clear that he was only there to talk about his friend.
Later in the day, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116908044067369620">announced</a> via his Truth Social platform that flags across the nation would be lowered in Graham&#8217;s honor for the next week: &#8220;In honor of the remarkable life and achievements of Senator Lindsey Graham, a dear friend of mine, and a truly great man, who achieved so much for our Country, and his beloved Home State of South Carolina, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Saturday evening at 6 P.M. GOD BLESS YOU LINDSEY!&#8221;

Senator Lindsey Graham Speaks On President Trump’s Announcement Of Troop Withdrawal In Syria

Lindsey Graham: Medical Examiner Releases Preliminary Cause Of Death

Death

Within hours of Senator Lindsey Graham&#8217;s (R-SC) sudden death on Saturday, the internet ghouls had already begin to come out of the woodwork to celebrate his demise.
From Iranian television personalities to a member of The Lincoln Project — with a host of others in between — they mocked Graham and suggested that he was burning in hell, mainly because they disagreed with his politics.
One Iranian television presenter commented with a smile, &#8220;I congratulate the great nation of Iran on the fact that Lindsey Graham—the warmongering, anti-Iran U.S. senator—has gone straight to hell.&#8221;
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Meanwhile this is how the IRGC shared the news of the untimely death of Senatoe Graham. <a href="https://t.co/VTvqk6LnBq">pic.twitter.com/VTvqk6LnBq</a>
— Emily Schrader &#8211; אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) <a href="https://x.com/emilykschrader/status/2076273595634860230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps followed with a series of photos of people being targeted by the regime — chief among them being President Donald Trump — with a red &#8220;X&#8221; drawn through Graham&#8217;s face.
Graham had responded to Iranian threats on his life — along with threats aimed at The Daily Wire&#8217;s Ben Shapiro, among others — just days earlier, quipping, &#8220;At least they used a good photo of me &#8230; Judge me by my enemies.&#8221;
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At least they used a good photo of me.
Judge me by my enemies. <a href="https://t.co/Ok2Oq1v4O5">https://t.co/Ok2Oq1v4O5</a> <a href="https://t.co/b1RBvzKo9K">pic.twitter.com/b1RBvzKo9K</a>
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/2074201227332563316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Bye Lindsey. May you live an eternity in ruins for the ruins you helped create in Gaza. Ameen,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/omarsuleiman/status/2076209015848108032">Dr. Omar Suleiman</a> posted.
The Lincoln Project co-founder <a href="https://x.com/SteveSchmidtSES/status/2076307531190919518">Steve Schmidt</a> trashed Graham on X, saying, &#8220;Lindsey Graham was a malignant clown; a venomous jester by choice.&#8221; In another post, he added, &#8220;Lindsey Graham was a simple, tragic man. He lacked a moral core. The great empty spaces of his life were filled with an insatiable need for “relevance.” He found it as a cast member in the most malignant reality show ever made.&#8221;
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Lindsey Graham was a simple, tragic man. He lacked a moral core. The great empty spaces of his life were filled with an insatiable need for “relevance.” He found it as a cast member in the most malignant reality show ever made.<a href="https://t.co/DoUCOvHC5t">https://t.co/DoUCOvHC5t</a> <a href="https://t.co/048YQoNJmK">pic.twitter.com/048YQoNJmK</a>
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) <a href="https://x.com/SteveSchmidtSES/status/2076245508750815278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On <a href="https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxpq_UmR2f0fMfff_uuOym6nlKisvNstzr">YouTube</a>, Schmidt commented, &#8220;Looks like Lindsey Graham was the latest person to have had a 20-minute conversation with Mitch McConnell.&#8221;
<a href="https://x.com/SpencerHakimian/status/2076269735121985918">Spencer Hakimian</a> also used Graham&#8217;s passing to jab at the ailing former Senate Majority Leader, mocking the Senator Mitch McConnell&#8217;s (R-KY) former aide and CNN commentator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-cites-fake-congressmans-account-of-conversation-with-mcconnell">Scott Jennings</a> in the same swipe: &#8220;Has Scott Jennings tried calling Lindsey Graham yet?&#8221;
<a href="https://x.com/jacksonhinkle/status/2076303908339613792">Jackson Hinkle</a> called Graham a &#8220;war criminal,&#8221; adding in a separate post, &#8220;43 million people attended the funeral of Sayyed Ali Khamenei … How many people will attend Lindsey Graham’s funeral?&#8221;
&#8220;The Young Turks&#8221; cohost Ana Kasparian said simply, &#8220;Good riddance&#8221; — but when she was called out, she defended her choice by suggesting that her critics would &#8220;celebrate&#8221; the death of a Palestinian toddler.
&#8220;I love how people who’ve normalized celebrations of death are clutching their pearls today. Just pretend I’m talking about a Palestinian toddler. Maybe then you can relate to my post,&#8221; she said.
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I love how people who’ve normalized celebrations of death are clutching their pearls today.
Just pretend I’m talking about a Palestinian toddler. Maybe then you can relate to my post. <a href="https://t.co/y5ZGBSZlM0">https://t.co/y5ZGBSZlM0</a>
— Ana Kasparian (@AnaKasparian) <a href="https://x.com/AnaKasparian/status/2076320666371133845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Wajahat Ali said, &#8220;Lindsey Graham was a terrible man who betrayed whatever values he had to kiss up to Trump just to stay, in his words, &#8216;relevant.&#8217; He is now dead.&#8221;
Among elected Democrats, the tone was dramatically different. While many were happy to disclose that they had disagreed with Graham on a fairly regular basis, most also said that they valued him as both a friend and colleague.

Lefty Ghouls Are Already Celebrating Lindsey Graham’s Death

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) passed away on Saturday, and as the news circulated into the Sunday morning hours, friends and colleagues shared stories about his life and career. One moment stood out above many, however, appearing in dozens of tributes to the South Carolina lawmaker: his passionate and unwavering defense of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Graham was serving as the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman when Kavanaugh was nominated to fill the seat vacated by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. He presided over the ensuing battle — which played out in a series of ugly and contentious hearings — after Democrats on the committee blindsided everyone with an 11th-hour sexual assault allegation against the nominee.
On September 27, 2018, Graham made it clear that he had had enough.
WATCH:
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/GJi1ZgvGyBYXXo4CA00cgBVBgJ5JZju97?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=4548b28f-7360-4c11-860c-f7349001625a&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-7-12%20flashback%20Graham%20Kavanaugh%20&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F5a77ac2e-a13e-4be8-b615-b3c4b6609b9c.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
&#8220;Are you aware that at 9:23 on the night of July the 9th, the day you were nominated to the Supreme Court by President Trump, Senator Schumer said 23-minutes after your nomination, &#8216;I will oppose Judge Kavanaugh&#8217;s nomination with everything I have, I have (sic) a bipartisan — and I hope a bipartisan majority will do the same. The stakes are simply too high for anything less.&#8217; Well, if you weren&#8217;t aware of it, you are now,&#8221; Graham began his questions to Kavanaugh. &#8220;Did you meet with Senator Dianne Feinstein on August 20th?&#8221;
&#8220;I did meet with Senator Feinstein,&#8221; Kavanaugh confirmed
&#8220;Did you know that her staff had already recommended a lawyer to Dr. Ford?&#8221; Graham asked, referencing Kavanaugh&#8217;s accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
&#8220;I did not know that,&#8221; he replied.
&#8220;Did you know that her and her staff had this — allegations for over 20 days?&#8221; Graham asked, suggesting that Feinstein had sat on the accusation until she believed it could do the most damage.
Kavanaugh said he had not been aware of that.
Turning to the Democrats on the committee, Graham unloaded both barrels: &#8220;If you wanted a FBI investigation, you could have come to us. What you want to do is destroy this guy&#8217;s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020. You&#8217;ve said that, not me.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;ve got nothing to apologize for,&#8221; he said to Kavanaugh.
&#8220;When you see Sotomayor and Kagan, tell them that Lindsey said hello because I voted for them,&#8221; He turned his attention back to the Democrats. &#8220;I would never do to them what you&#8217;ve done to this guy. This is the most unethical sham since I&#8217;ve been in politics. And if you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn&#8217;t have done what you&#8217;ve done to this guy.&#8221;
To Kavanaugh, he asked: &#8220;Are you a gang rapist?&#8221;
&#8220;No.&#8221;
&#8220;I cannot imagine what you and your family have gone through,&#8221; Graham continued.
To the Democrats, he lashed out: &#8220;Boy, you all want power. God, I hope you never get it. I hope the American people can see through this sham. That you knew about it and you held it. You had no intention of protecting Dr. Ford; none.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s as much of a victim as you are. God, I hate to say it because these have been my friends,&#8221; he said to Kavanaugh. &#8220;But let me tell you, when it comes to this, you&#8217;re looking for a fair process? You came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend. Do you consider this a job interview? &#8230; Do you consider that you&#8217;ve been through a job interview?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been through a process of advice and consent under the Constitution, which &#8230;&#8221; Kavanaugh began, but Graham interrupted.
&#8220;Would you say you&#8217;ve been through hell?&#8221;
&#8220;I — I&#8217;ve been through hell and then some,&#8221; Kavanaugh conceded.
&#8220;This is not a job interview,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;This is hell.&#8221;
&#8220;This — this &#8230;&#8221; Kavanaugh struggled for the right words.
&#8220;This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap. Your high school yearbook — you have interacted with professional women all your life, not one accusation,&#8221; Graham continued. &#8220;You&#8217;re supposed to be Bill Cosby when you&#8217;re a junior and senior in high school. And all of a sudden, you got over it. It&#8217;s been my understanding that if you drug women and rape them for two years in high school, you probably don&#8217;t stop.&#8221;
&#8220;Here&#8217;s my understanding, if you lived a good life people would recognize it, like the American Bar Association has, the gold standard. His integrity is absolutely unquestioned. He is the very circumspect in his personal conduct, harbors no biases or prejudices. He&#8217;s entirely ethical, is a really decent person. He is warm, friendly, unassuming. He&#8217;s the nicest person — the ABA,&#8221; Graham continued. &#8220;The one thing I can tell you should be proud of — Ashley, you should be proud of this — that you raised a daughter who had the good character to pray for Dr. Ford.&#8221;
Graham then turned his ire on his own party, warning them not to fall prey to the spectacle being put on for them: &#8220;To my Republican colleagues, if you vote no, you&#8217;re legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics. You want this seat? I hope you never get it.&#8221;
&#8220;I hope you&#8217;re on the Supreme Court, that&#8217;s exactly where you should be,&#8221; he said to Kavanaugh. &#8220;And I hope that the American people will see through this charade. And I wish you well. And I intend to vote for you and I hope everybody who&#8217;s fair-minded will.&#8221;
Graham&#8217;s position — and his outrage — were abundantly clear, but throughout the process he was still able to keep his legendary sense of humor. During one hallway chat with reporters, for example, a protester interrupted the gaggle and called for Kavanaugh to take a polygraph.
&#8220;You&#8217;ve humiliated this guy enough, and there seems to be no bottom for some of you,&#8221; Graham said of Kavanaugh — and the ongoing witch hunt targeting him — a woman behind him interrupted to demand the Supreme Court nominee take a polygraph.
Without turning to acknowledge her, Graham quipped, &#8220;Why don&#8217;t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?&#8221;
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Never forget Lindsey Graham’s amazing sense of humor—during the heated Kavanaugh confirmation fight:
Protester: Kavanaugh should take a polygraph.
Sen. Lindsey Graham: &#8220;Why don&#8217;t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ynTRuOavho">pic.twitter.com/ynTRuOavho</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://x.com/SteveGuest/status/2076268089595900108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Christine Blasey Ford And Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Testify To Senate Judiciary Committee

FLASHBACK: The Lindsey Graham Speech That Turned The Tide For Brett Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

Judiciary

Supreme Court

When the news broke of Senator Lindsey Graham&#8217;s (R-SC) sudden passing, tributes and memories came pouring in from friends and colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-sen-lindsey-graham-dead-at-71-after-brief-illness">Graham</a>, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 until his death, had a reputation for working across the aisle whenever possible, and counted a number of his Democratic colleagues — in addition to the Republicans — as his friends.
Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, who knew Graham well, posted a tribute that detailed some of the South Carolina native&#8217;s history — from growing up above a flourishing bar to raising his teenaged sister after losing both parents at just 21 years old.
&#8220;I woke up this morning to the tragic news that Senator Lindsey Graham of SC has passed away. Lindsey was a dear friend and the hardest working man in the U.S. Senate. He was also one of President Trumps most loyal supporters,&#8221; Hannity said, adding, &#8220;He grew up living over a bar run by his family. After the early death of his parents he personally stepped up to provide for, and raise, his younger sister. He then became a Congressman and later a Senator.&#8221;
&#8220;Contrary to a public narrative that he was a war hawk, it was the opposite that is true. He wanted an end to the war with Russia and Ukraine and end all conflicts in the Middle East. There is no elected official that traveled to these regions more than Senator Graham,&#8221; he added. &#8220;His dream for the Middle East was that of a lasting peace in the region between every nation and his hope was this could all be accomplished by the early fall.&#8221;
&#8220;And we pray that our God has welcomed him into his loving embrace in the paradise he has promised his believers. God speed Senator Graham as you return to the home of our creator and Savior,&#8221; he concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I woke up this morning to the tragic news that Senator Lindsey Graham of SC has passed away. Lindsey was a dear friend and the hardest working man in the US Senate. He was also one of President Trumps most loyal supporters.
Most people do not know his life’s story. He grew up…
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) <a href="https://x.com/seanhannity/status/2076270929475215601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I’m shocked to hear of the loss of my colleague and friend, Lindsey Graham. Lindsey loved this country, loved South Carolina, and loved a good fight. He was a champion for free speech against the giant tech companies and a great advocate for constitutionalist judges. Erin &amp; I remember his family in prayer,&#8221; Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).
Vice President JD Vance, who briefly served alongside Graham as a senator from Ohio, added, &#8220;Lindsey Graham came from humble beginnings and became one of the most powerful lawmakers in the most powerful nation on Earth. His story was a fundamentally American one.&#8221;
&#8220;Early in my Senate tenure, I remember getting into a shouting match with Lindsey about a Ukraine funding bill at lunch and then learning the very next day that he was pushing rail legislation I really cared about behind the scenes. That was Lindsey Graham,&#8221; Vance continued. &#8220;He fought like hell for the things he believed in, and he was just as willing to go to bat for you when it counted. Lindsey had the best sense of humor in the Senate &#8230; We certainly had our disagreements. But I couldn&#8217;t help but like him. A one of a kind figure in our politics. I&#8217;ll be praying for him and his family.&#8221;
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also paid tribute to her friend and colleague, saying in part, &#8221; Mostly my fond memories of spending time with Lindsey (and we travelled the world with John McCain) was not about the ups and downs of his policy positions. It was about his love for the world, his loyalty to hard causes and his friends, and the pure joy he brought to life. I will miss him.&#8221;
&#8220;Sudden and awful news about Senator Lindsey Graham,&#8221; Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) added. &#8220;The United States Senate lost a foreign policy giant. On a personal level, he had always been kind, gracious, and thoughtful. Gisele and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and staff.&#8221;
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz remembered a different side of Graham, saying in an X post, &#8220;I first met Lindsey not as Senator, but as Colonel Graham in the Air National Guard. He insisted on spending his 3 weeks annual training in Afghanistan training Afghan Army JAG officers. From Libya to Lebanon, no member of Congress traveled more to appreciate both the troops and bring ground truth back to legislating.&#8221;
&#8220;The first time I met Lindsey Graham, I was 11 years old in a hotel lobby and he had just attended a political event with my Dad,&#8221; Meghan McCain posted. &#8220;He sat down next to me and told me that he loved my Dad. I remember liking his deep southern accent and smile and immediately felt comfortable around him &#8211; he somehow seemed younger, hipper and more interesting than most of the political figures that rotated around my Dad&#8217;s orbit.&#8221;
McCain went on to add, &#8220;Like many relationships in life, mine with Lindsey was complex in later years. I choose to remember the endless laughter and joy he brought to my family so many times, in so many ways. These memories are some of the most precious of my life. I hope that he is at peace and I hope he is in heaven drinking a white russian and fishing with my Dad and Joe.&#8221;
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The first time I met Lindsey Graham, I was 11 years old in a hotel lobby and he had just attended a political event with my Dad. He sat down next to me and told me that he loved my Dad. I remember liking his deep southern accent and smile and immediately felt comfortable around… <a href="https://t.co/03mCGn9Xxl">pic.twitter.com/03mCGn9Xxl</a>
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) <a href="https://x.com/MeghanMcCain/status/2076226980748329365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/bdomenech/status/2076319562438508699">Ben Domenech</a> added, &#8220;I called Lindsey Graham a dangerously insane neocon and the next time we saw each other he hugged me and said &#8216;everyone&#8217;s got an opinion.'&#8221;
On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; anchor <a href="https://x.com/kwelkernbc/status/2076252524353339564">Kristen Welker</a> revealed that Graham had been a scheduled guest on Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast — and that it would have been his 64th time on the program. President Donald Trump spoke to her Sunday morning, however, and made it clear that &#8220;Lindsey Graham&#8221; was the only topic he was interested in discussing.
&#8220;I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham, so I don&#8217;t want to talk about it. I told you that before the call,&#8221; Trump said after Welker asked a question about Iran. &#8220;I want to talk about one person today — Lindsey Graham.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> after being asked about Iran: &#8220;I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham, so I don&#8217;t want to talk about it. I told you that before the call&#8230; I want to talk about one person today — Lindsey Graham.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/WiangUBdq0">pic.twitter.com/WiangUBdq0</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2076304322875294119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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A number of others, from Senator <a href="https://x.com/MarkWarner/status/2076282313000792492">Mark Warner</a> (D-VA), FBI Director <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2076307271873691671">Kash Patel</a>, and Governor <a href="https://x.com/henrymcmaster/status/2076193759067308237">Henry McMaster</a> (R-SC), to Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/2076204028053045750">John Thune</a> (R-SD) and former Vice President <a href="https://x.com/Mike_Pence/status/2076294824026644585">Mike Pence</a>.

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Tributes Pour In After Lindsey Graham’s Sudden Passing

Former MTV reality star Spencer Pratt has repeatedly made it clear that he is not going to walk away silently after his loss in the Los Angeles mayoral race — and in his most recent video, he took direct aim at California&#8217;s election process and the potential for fraud.
Pratt, in a nine-minute video posted on Wednesday, laid out the reasons people believe California elections are rife with fraud — and why he believes they&#8217;re right to be worried.
WATCH:
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I didn’t get cheated.
You did. <a href="https://t.co/ihDoZeEh9J">pic.twitter.com/ihDoZeEh9J</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2075036220803993958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In judicial ethics, the mere appearance of potential fraud is disqualifying,&#8221; Pratt began — and then compared that to elections. &#8220;Whether or not there is widespread fraud occurring, there certainly could be. And it doesn&#8217;t matter how many times you scream, &#8216;There is no widespread fraud.&#8217; A lot of people believe there is.&#8221;
Pratt went on to explain how California, in particular, had built a system that at best enabled the appearance of fraud and at worst facilitated it: &#8220;This isn&#8217;t about whether fraud is swinging the election — the appearance of fraud already is swinging the election.&#8221;
Using his own election as an example, Pratt explained that the mail-in ballot system — which allows votes to be counted for days after the election — created the appearance of fraud even if that wasn&#8217;t what was happening. In the Los Angeles mayoral race, he explained, he was in second place on Election Day — and the mail-in ballots that came in after benefited Nithya Raman, who had been the third-place candidate.
&#8220;For some reason, only the third-place Democrat who needed the votes saw a disproportionate spike in votes several days after the election,&#8221; he said.
Pratt compared the whole system to a bank heist in which the bank owners &#8220;can&#8217;t lock the bank vault, you&#8217;re not allowed to have security cameras, and you can&#8217;t count the money inside the vault. Robbing the bank is still 100% illegal, but there&#8217;s no way to stop it from happening.&#8221;
&#8220;How can you secure the money if you can&#8217;t lock the vault?&#8221; Pratt asked. &#8220;How can you catch the robbers if you&#8217;re not allowed to monitor the vault? And how can you even identify if the vault were even robbed in the first place if you can&#8217;t even count the money? &#8230; The bank vault is wide open.&#8221;
Pratt called for an overhaul of the system, saying that the right way would not be easy, but it would end with &#8220;commie animals in handcuffs.&#8221;
&#8220;To all you fraudsters out there, we&#8217;ve been watching you,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And justice is coming.&#8221;

election night Spencer Pratt

Spencer Pratt Just Went Scorched Earth On ‘Communist’ Election Fraudsters

Spencer Pratt Just Went Scorched Earth On 'Communist' Election Fraudsters

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Spencer Pratt

Lance Twiggs, the trans-identifying former boyfriend of accused assassin Tyler Robinson, said in audio released during Thursday&#8217;s preliminary hearing that Robinson had claimed he wanted to engrave bullets ahead of a planned &#8220;hunting&#8221; trip.
A police interview with Twiggs, originally recorded several months after the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, was played for the first time during preliminary hearings ahead of Robinson&#8217;s trial.
Twiggs said that Robinson had mentioned a hunting trip he was planning with his family, and asked whether he had a Dremel tool that he could use to engrave bullets before they went. He confirmed that he did have the tool, and had told Robinson where he could find it — and that all of that had transpired about a month or so prior to the shooting.
&#8220;He said he was going hunting with his family and he asked if we had a Dremel he could borrow because he said he wanted to engrave messages on bullets,&#8221; Twiggs explained. &#8220;I just told him where the Dremel was and told him to make sure he doesn&#8217;t set off the bullet on accident in the house, but I didn&#8217;t really think about it until then.&#8221;
He recalled seeing Robinson the day after the shooting, and said that he&#8217;d appeared restless — as if he&#8217;d been attempting to keep himself busy, or to distract himself from what he had done.
Twiggs also said that he&#8217;d asked Robinson directly whether the things he&#8217;d said via text the night before — namely that he&#8217;d been the one to shoot Kirk — had been true.
&#8220;[He] didn’t go into detail. I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before and he said it was, starting crying a little bit, and he says he wishes he hadn’t done it,” Twiggs said.
Some portions of the interview were redacted pursuant to an earlier ruling from Judge Tony Graf, in which he stated that about 16 minutes of the recorded interview — which initially took place earlier in the year — would be redacted in order to balance transparency of the proceedings with the rights of the defendant.
Robinson, 23, will potentially face the death penalty if he is convicted.

Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson Arraigned In Utah Court

Tyler Robinson’s Trans Furry Boyfriend Reveals Engraved Bullet Details

Tyler Robinson Claimed Engraved Bullets Were For 'Hunting,' Trans Furry Boyfriend Says

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