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

Donald Trump

First Step Act

Lindsey Graham

Politics

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

Media

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:
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&#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.
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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

2026 elections

California

Election Fraud

Elections

Los Angeles

Los Angeles mayor

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

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Courts

Shooting

Judge Tony Graf Jr. denied a request from Erika Kirk and her late husband&#8217;s parents, saying that he would not display in open court all of the evidence in the assassination of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Graf said that the court would weigh evidence on a case-by-case basis and that only some would be displayed in the gallery for all of those present at the hearing.
&#8220;The court has considered the request that exhibits be displayed in real time to the courtroom. After careful consideration, the court determines that not all exhibits will be visually displayed to the gallery and notes that it will use a tiered method as described first, whether it will be admitted to the court for consideration as it relates to probable cause. Second, whether it will be displayed only to the gallery, and third, if it will be published through the camera, to the public at large,&#8221; Graf said.
In a win for the Kirk family and the prosecution, Graf also agreed that several key pieces of evidence — specifically text messages and Discord messages — could be released to the public, despite objections from the defense.
As the preliminary hearings continue for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering Kirk last September at Utah Valley University, the Kirks submitted a filing through attorneys on Thursday. In it, they claimed that the victims of crimes — in addition to being allowed to be present in the courtroom during proceedings — should be allowed to see the evidence presented in open court.
&#8220;The Victim&#8217;s Family&#8217;s position is simple. At a minimum, every exhibit entered into evidence during the preliminary hearing must be visible to every person lawfully present in the courtroom,&#8221; the court filing read, noting that the family had waited months for the hearing to begin — and then, upon their arrival, found that they&#8217;d be unable to view some of the evidence.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/live-tyler-robinson-preliminary-hearing-day-4?contentProgram=Daily%20Wire%20News&amp;contentType=ShowEpisode&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel">WATCH: Tyler Robinson Preliminary Hearing</a>
&#8220;To receive evidence in a manner shielded from those seated in the courtroom — as happened today — is not transparency. And in the absence of transparency, speculation and conspiracy theories related to the tragic assassination of Mr. Kirk will continue to proliferate in the public domain, breeding doubt and distrust in the judicial system. This is not what anyone should want.&#8221;
The filing went on to argue that the family&#8217;s guaranteed right to be present in the courtroom and to observe the court proceedings carried no real weight if they were not also able to see the evidence that was being presented.
&#8220;The right &#8216;to be present&#8217; is hollow if the victim or his representative is physically in the room but is prevented from seeing the evidence the Court is receiving. A right to attend that does not include the ability to perceive what is happening is not meaningful presence at all,&#8221; the filing explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Erika Kirk&#8217;s attorney claims in a new court filing that after waiting ten months for the preliminary hearing, Erika and Charlie Kirk&#8217;s parents have been denied the ability to meaningfully observe evidence in court <a href="https://t.co/YfBTsaQ0s6">pic.twitter.com/YfBTsaQ0s6</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://x.com/MattFinnFNC/status/2075195265464856977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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JD Vance Speaks At Turning Point Tour Event At Ole Miss

Judge Issues Decision On Erika Kirk’s Demand For More Transparency In Court

Judge Denies Erika Kirk's Request, Will Not Display All Evidence In Open Court

Court

Erika Kirk

Murder

Recently obtained video shows disgraced Maine Democrat Graham Platner doing chores around his home after suspending his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Platner announced the end of his tumultuous campaign late Wednesday evening after a series of scandals — ranging from his Nazi-themed tattoo and raunchy social media posts to allegations of troubling behavior, sexual assault, and even rape. By Thursday morning, he was back to doing work around the house.
WATCH:
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New video obtained by Fox News shows Graham Platner&#8217;s first public appearance since suspending his Senate campaign in Maine.
Platner was spotted briefly leaving his house days after a new wave of sexual assault allegations, including a rape accusation, became public.
The Maine… <a href="https://t.co/fz1jEvcwJp">pic.twitter.com/fz1jEvcwJp</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2075221617425150313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Platner&#8217;s decision to bow out gives his party just days to replace him on the ballot ahead of the November general election — and early reports suggested that Platner conditioned his exit on being allowed to exert some control over who could ultimately take his place as the nominee.
After ex-girlfriend Jenny Racicot accused him of rape in interviews with Politico and CNN, the Maine Democrat immediately began hemorrhaging what support he had left. Platner held out until Wednesday before ultimately leaving the race as endorsements, support, and funding began to evaporate.
Platner responded with an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/platner-caves-suspends-senate-campaign">11-minute video</a> denying the allegations and blaming everyone but himself for the drama and scandals that were constant fixtures in his race.
&#8220;We believe that for the movement to continue, [the candidate] can’t be me,” Platner said. “And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations &#8230; I have faced some very serious allegations, and I just want to make it clear, this is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real.&#8221;

Graham Platner

What Graham Platner Did After Suspending His Campaign

New Video Shows Disgraced Graham Platner Doing House Chores After Campaign Imploded

graham platner

CNN ran with a quote from a parody account during a segment about Republicans who say they have spoken with ailing former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during his recent hospitalization.
Host Audie Cornish introduced the segment, which came as speculation continues to swirl about McConnell&#8217;s health. Cornish noted that several prominent Republicans had spoken up in recent days to say that McConnell was still recovering but doing well.
&#8220;You have a lot of Senate Republicans coming out, we&#8217;re going to show some onscreen, all saying, &#8216;I talked to him,&#8217; &#8216;I talked to him,&#8217; &#8216;I talked to him for 20 minutes,&#8217; &#8216;I talked to him for 45 minutes,'&#8221; she said. &#8220;We&#8217;re hearing these pundits talk not just about his potential health, but what they think the issue is: a special election deadline.&#8221;
WATCH:
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OOPS: CNN This Morning cites parody account of fake congressman <a href="https://x.com/RepJackKimble?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJackKimble</a> on list of quotes about Sen. Mitch McConnell&#8217;s health. <a href="https://t.co/GBXJ37bkoe">pic.twitter.com/GBXJ37bkoe</a>
— Nick (@nspin310) <a href="https://x.com/nspin310/status/2074860431240298947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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But as Cornish spoke, the posts on the screen were from former McConnell adviser and CNN commentator Scott Jennings, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Majority Whip John Barrasso. A fourth post, attributed to &#8220;Rep. Jack Kimble,&#8221; was found to be a parody account.
The quote that appeared on the screen read, &#8220;I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 45 minutes.&#8221;
But the full quote posted by the parody account took the joke a bit further: &#8220;I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 45 minutes. He&#8217;s so sharp. Just like always he let me do all of the talking. He&#8217;s a great listener. After that we prayed silently for awhile and had a staring contest. Just like always, he beat me. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.&#8221;
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I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 45 minutes. He&#8217;s so sharp. Just like always he let me do all of the talking. He&#8217;s a great listener. After that we prayed…
— Rep. Jack Kimble (@RepJackKimble) <a href="https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2074570956467577094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Other posts from Kimble&#8217;s account might have given it away as a parody as well.
July 6: &#8220;Donald Trump had no choice but to get Balogun reinstated. He’s a birthright citizen and The Supreme Court just ruled we can’t take away their citizenship or give them red cards. Blame the liberal judges.&#8221;
June 30: &#8220;The Supreme Court is just a regular court with sour cream.&#8221;
Kimble&#8217;s X bio should also have given CNN a clue, as it claims that he represents California&#8217;s 54th Congressional District. The state of California only has 52 Congressional Districts.

CNN World Headquarters

CNN Cites Fake Congressman’s Account Of Conversation With McConnell

CNN Cites Fake Congressman's Account Of Conversation With McConnell

Mitch McConnell

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) called out Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), arguing that he was part of the push to elevate embattled Maine Democrat Graham Platner.
Platner, who is Maine&#8217;s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, has faced a litany of scandals since he entered the race — from a Nazi-inspired tattoo and dubious social media history to multiple accusations of troubling behavior and even rape. Fetterman told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday that Sanders ought to apologize for so aggressively pushing Platner.
WATCH:
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Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) on Bernie Sanders support for Graham Platner:
“Honestly I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator more than anyone he helped elected” <a href="https://t.co/qMnv3HY4H4">pic.twitter.com/qMnv3HY4H4</a>
— DSA Watch (@DSA_Watch) <a href="https://x.com/DSA_Watch/status/2074825834842521703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Ingraham noted that almost across the board — with few exceptions, of which Fetterman was one — the Democratic Party had been all too willing to ignore the questionable items in Platner&#8217;s history, and she asked whether any of them should be held responsible for the ensuing situation.
&#8220;I refused to overlook that,&#8221; Fetterman replied. &#8220;But honestly, I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator — more than anyone he helped [to] elect — and now apologize to the victims, especially the woman that she claimed that he raped her, so I don&#8217;t know why you want to keep pushing these kinds of people.&#8221;
&#8220;Maybe he should consider [sitting] a few out and stop pushing these kinds of communists, and now people like P. Hustle, now he has been credibly accused of rape — and that&#8217;s fairly recent, too, that was only less than five years ago,&#8221; Fetterman continued.
Fetterman has repeatedly challenged members of his own party over their support for Platner — and has argued that the scandals, even before the rape accusation, should have been disqualifying.

John Fetterman

Fetterman Calls Out Bernie Sanders For Elevating ‘Predator’ Platner

Fetterman: Bernie Sanders Should Apologize For Elevating Platner

Bernie Sanders

Democratic Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner released a video denying the accusations of sexual misconduct, disturbing and abusive behavior, and even rape — but some quickly noticed that his speech sounded familiar.
When viewed side by side with a video from disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — who resigned after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and assault — it was so similar that it might easily have been scripted by the same person.
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/foGKdXSoSW7Z00sAjbvTtzuU5XbQBEeDA?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=87a702c7-4863-4e0d-9987-d2ffbd45e30a&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-07-08%20Swalwell%20Platner%20Similar%20Denials&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2Ffc7c88c6-7364-4e88-8a3e-c8e37312b26b.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-sexual-assault-accusation-rocks-maine-democrat-graham-platner">Platner responded</a> after former girlfriend Jenny Racicot came forward, speaking with both Politico and CNN about the night she said Platner showed up at her home and forced himself on her.
&#8220;I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me,&#8221; Platner began, speaking directly to the camera. &#8220;Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.&#8221;
Platner then spoke of his constituents, saying that he&#8217;d been &#8220;deeply humbled&#8221; by the amount of faith they&#8217;d placed in him and thanking them for welcoming him into their lives throughout his campaign.
&#8220;So regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,&#8221; Platner said, adding, &#8220;As Maine goes, so goes the nation.&#8221;
Swalwell gave a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swalwell-wont-drop-out-despite-his-metoo-era-kavanaugh-demand">remarkably similar statement</a> in the wake of sexual misconduct and assault accusations just a few months earlier, also speaking directly to the camera.
&#8220;A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations,” Swalwell said at the time. “And I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly.”
“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false, they’re absolutely false,” he added. “They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have. They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California.”
“I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I’m a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past,” Swalwell continued. “But those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position. I also apologize to you if in any way you have doubted your support for me. But I think you know who I am.”
Within days of releasing the video, Swalwell had dropped out of the California gubernatorial primary — which he was leading — and resigned from Congress.

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Virginia Kruta