The lion’s share of tributes pouring in for Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly over the weekend at 71, will rightly focus on his commitment to bolstering American national security. But there’s another aspect of his legacy that warrants celebration and reflection. In between his crusades to seat President Donald Trump’s nominees and defend democracy abroad, the late senator from South Carolina led one of the last true efforts to fix American health care. With his death, the last of the Republican health care reformers is gone. We ought to reflect on this fact as we honor his life of public service. Graham was one of the earliest and most vocal opponents of the Affordable Care Act. “A government-run, government-controlled system will increase costs, reduce patient choice, and eventually lead to rationing of care,” Graham said after President Barack Obama unveiled his signature healthcare proposal in 2009. A year later, Graham lamented the damage Obamacare’s passage had done to American health care and the legislative process, saying, “the well has been poisoned.” In the years that followed, Graham never gave up the fight. But unlike many of his colleagues, he did more than occasionally call for “repeal and replace.” In 2017, a succession of GOP reform bills fell in rapid succession, ending when Graham’s friend, Senator John McCain, famously gave a “thumbs down” to the Health Care Freedom Act of 2017. Undeterred, Graham joined with Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy to introduce an amendment to a budget reconciliation bill that would come to be known, colloquially, as “Graham-Cassidy.” The package would have taken all the money that Obamacare allocated for premium credits and Medicaid expansion — $1.2 trillion over six years — and distributed it to the states through block grants. “The Graham-Cassidy plan is built on the premise that the federal government should remove itself from many of the difficult policy decisions concerning how health insurance is subsidized and regulated,” the American Enterprise Institute’s James Capretta and Joseph Antos wrote at the time. The bill, they said, “would provide substantial flexibility to the states to design entirely different ways of subsidizing and regulating health insurance in the individual market.” The bill would have saved taxpayer money while giving more resources directly to states. It would have helped lawmakers crack down on fraud. And, perhaps most shockingly in retrospect, it would have guaranteed access to affordable coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions. Graham-Cassidy would have allowed every state to innovate and design competitive insurance marketplaces that fit their unique needs, essentially removing Obamacare’s inefficiencies and problems without hurting the safety net. There was a lot more to Graham-Cassidy — it repealed the individual mandate, capped federal Medicaid contributions, among other things — but the crux of the bill was returning control to the states. Today we tend to dismiss this kind of policy as a cop-out. But at the time, returning control to the states was seen on the Right as the best way to fix Obamacare. Graham was no fan of the ACA, as we saw. But he understood that a straight repeal was likely impossible, and instead focused his efforts on reform, giving relief to Americans priced out of the individual market and giving freedom to the states. Graham was one of the last, but certainly not the only, Republican who affixed his name to a smart healthcare reform bill. Republican Senators Tom Coburn (OK), Richard Burr (NC), and Orrin Hatch (Utah) introduced their eponymous reform bill in 2014. When Coburn retired from the Senate later that year, Congressman Fred Upton (MI) took his spot on the legislation. Neither version of the bill passed, and all of its sponsors have moved on. Coburn died in 2020, and Hatch followed two years later. Burr retired in 2022, Upton in 2023. And Cassidy lost his primary just this year, in a large part because he continued pushing nuanced but increasingly unpopular health care policies well into President Trump’s second term. Republicans have yet to replace Graham and his fellow reformers. McCain’s no vote on Obamacare repeal temporarily chilled Republican reform efforts. Shortly thereafter, the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent election of Joe Biden would fundamentally reshape American health policy for the worse. The Republican Party, long willing to push for entitlement reform, fell captive to populist members and leaders who pledged to never cut Medicare and Medicaid. The ongoing vaccine debate has made hating the pharmaceutical industry a rare area of bipartisan agreement, a change that has all but ended any push for innovation or reform. The result is that no one wants to fix health care anymore. Republicans are scared to upset the status quo, and Democrats, realizing that they’ve essentially won the war, have mostly pumped the brakes on their more radical attempts to push American health care to the Left, perhaps the last thing that would have motivated Republicans to make another push for reform. Graham’s death did not cause or hasten any of these developments. But it is a stark reminder of what Republicans have lost, in the Senate and elsewhere. Graham was one of the last senators who consistently acted on the courage of his convictions, who was willing to do the complicated, ugly, and often unpopular work of real legislating and serious policymaking. His party changed and public opinion turned, but Lindsey Graham never stopped fighting for what he knew to be right and what he knew was best for the American people. May his legacy inspire other lawmakers to pick up his mantle.

Within hours of Senator Lindsey Graham’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, “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.” Meanwhile this is how the IRGC shared the news of the untimely death of Senatoe Graham. pic.twitter.com/VTvqk6LnBq — Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) July 12, 2026 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 “X” drawn through Graham’s face. Graham had responded to Iranian threats on his life — along with threats aimed at The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, among others — just days earlier, quipping, “At least they used a good photo of me … Judge me by my enemies.” At least they used a good photo of me. Judge me by my enemies. https://t.co/Ok2Oq1v4O5 pic.twitter.com/b1RBvzKo9K — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 6, 2026 “Bye Lindsey. May you live an eternity in ruins for the ruins you helped create in Gaza. Ameen,” Dr. Omar Suleiman posted. The Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt trashed Graham on X, saying, “Lindsey Graham was a malignant clown; a venomous jester by choice.” In another post, he added, “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.” 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.https://t.co/DoUCOvHC5t pic.twitter.com/048YQoNJmK — Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) July 12, 2026 On YouTube, Schmidt commented, “Looks like Lindsey Graham was the latest person to have had a 20-minute conversation with Mitch McConnell.” Spencer Hakimian also used Graham’s passing to jab at the ailing former Senate Majority Leader, mocking the Senator Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) former aide and CNN commentator Scott Jennings in the same swipe: “Has Scott Jennings tried calling Lindsey Graham yet?” Jackson Hinkle called Graham a “war criminal,” adding in a separate post, “43 million people attended the funeral of Sayyed Ali Khamenei … How many people will attend Lindsey Graham’s funeral?” “The Young Turks” cohost Ana Kasparian said simply, “Good riddance” — but when she was called out, she defended her choice by suggesting that her critics would “celebrate” the death of a Palestinian toddler. “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,” she said. 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. https://t.co/y5ZGBSZlM0 — Ana Kasparian (@AnaKasparian) July 12, 2026

Following Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) sudden passing, Governor Henry McMaster (R-SC) is expected to appoint a replacement who will fill the remainder of Graham’s term. McMaster’s choice could take days. President Donald Trump weighed in briefly on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” joining the program in honor of the late South Carolina senator who had been scheduled to appear. “I have somebody that I think would be great,” he said, but also said that it was too soon to get into that just yet. For the remainder of the broadcast, Trump deflected questions about issues like Iran, telling host Kristen Welker that he was there to talk about Graham. Graham had already clinched his primary in the current cycle, and was set to face off against challenger Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews — a matchup that he was expected to win easily in November. South Carolina law requires a special primary election ahead of November’s general election since Graham had already won the primary. Potential candidates will be able to file starting the second Tuesday after the vacancy, and will be open for a week. The special primary is then held on the second Tuesday after the filing period closes. A runoff election will be held two weeks later if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.  Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has already expressed interest in the job. After posting a tribute to Graham, Mace quoted a clip saying, “Just when I thought I was out … they pull me back in …”  “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in…” pic.twitter.com/1AzRMPAEuc — Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) July 12, 2026 Mace also penned a tribute to Graham, saying, “South Carolina lost a giant last night. For more than three decades, Lindsey Graham gave everything he had to this state and this country, from the Air Force to the United States Senate. We did not always agree, but no one ever questioned his love for South Carolina or the fight he brought to every room he walked into.” Mace had already opted not to run for reelection to Congress, instead throwing her hat in the ring to become the next Governor of South Carolina. Mace finished fifth in the race. Rumors that South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson was interested in the role began circling, but Wilson announced on Sunday that he spoke to Trump about Graham and “assured him my goal is to remain in the House to keep his two-vote majority for the American people.”  Professor of Political Science Scott Huffmon at Winthrop University in South Carolina said that he assumes “everyone of one of our current GOP members of the House of Representatives are having some serious conversations at the moment.” He noted “Ralph Norman has a lot of money, a lot of ambition, and just ran a statewide race.” Like Mace, Norman also ran for Governor. Huffmon also mentioned former Governor Nikki Haley and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette. Official statements on who might jump into a now wide-open field have not yet been made, as many are still publicly mourning Graham’s loss. Tributes to the late senator are pouring in from friends and colleagues even across the aisle. Senator Elizabeth Warren said, “I got to know Senator Lindsey Graham traveling with him abroad in Afghanistan and Ukraine. We had just met to renew the fight for our Big Tech bill.” She added, “Even though we disagreed on much, he was always willing to negotiate, with humor and wit.” Andrews, his 2026 Democratic opponent, gave Graham credit for being “a man of great faith who proudly served our nation as a JAG officer and Air Force colonel.” She added that she hopes South Carolinians will set aside partisanship to offer gratitude for Graham’s service to both his state and his country.

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: “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, ‘I will oppose Judge Kavanaugh’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.’ Well, if you weren’t aware of it, you are now,” Graham began his questions to Kavanaugh. “Did you meet with Senator Dianne Feinstein on August 20th?” “I did meet with Senator Feinstein,” Kavanaugh confirmed “Did you know that her staff had already recommended a lawyer to Dr. Ford?” Graham asked, referencing Kavanaugh’s accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. “I did not know that,” he replied. “Did you know that her and her staff had this — allegations for over 20 days?” 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: “If you wanted a FBI investigation, you could have come to us. What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020. You’ve said that, not me.” “You’ve got nothing to apologize for,” he said to Kavanaugh. “When you see Sotomayor and Kagan, tell them that Lindsey said hello because I voted for them,” He turned his attention back to the Democrats. “I would never do to them what you’ve done to this guy. This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics. And if you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn’t have done what you’ve done to this guy.” To Kavanaugh, he asked: “Are you a gang rapist?” “No.” “I cannot imagine what you and your family have gone through,” Graham continued. To the Democrats, he lashed out: “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.” “She’s as much of a victim as you are. God, I hate to say it because these have been my friends,” he said to Kavanaugh. “But let me tell you, when it comes to this, you’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? … Do you consider that you’ve been through a job interview?” “I’ve been through a process of advice and consent under the Constitution, which …” Kavanaugh began, but Graham interrupted. “Would you say you’ve been through hell?” “I — I’ve been through hell and then some,” Kavanaugh conceded. “This is not a job interview,” Graham said. “This is hell.” “This — this …” Kavanaugh struggled for the right words. “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,” Graham continued. “You’re supposed to be Bill Cosby when you’re a junior and senior in high school. And all of a sudden, you got over it. It’s been my understanding that if you drug women and rape them for two years in high school, you probably don’t stop.” “Here’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’s entirely ethical, is a really decent person. He is warm, friendly, unassuming. He’s the nicest person — the ABA,” Graham continued. “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.” Graham then turned his ire on his own party, warning them not to fall prey to the spectacle being put on for them: “To my Republican colleagues, if you vote no, you’re legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics. You want this seat? I hope you never get it.” “I hope you’re on the Supreme Court, that’s exactly where you should be,” he said to Kavanaugh. “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’s fair-minded will.” Graham’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. “You’ve humiliated this guy enough, and there seems to be no bottom for some of you,” 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, “Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?” Never forget Lindsey Graham’s amazing sense of humor—during the heated Kavanaugh confirmation fight: Protester: Kavanaugh should take a polygraph. Sen. Lindsey Graham: “Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?” pic.twitter.com/ynTRuOavho — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 12, 2026

When the news broke of Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) sudden passing, tributes and memories came pouring in from friends and colleagues on both sides of the political aisle. Graham, 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’s history — from growing up above a flourishing bar to raising his teenaged sister after losing both parents at just 21 years old. “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,” Hannity said, adding, “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.” “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,” he added. “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.” “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,” he concluded. 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