The latest Washington Week with The Atlantic roundtable on PBS featured not only criticism but cynicism regarding the Democratic Party’s slimy embrace of Graham Platner, the disgraced former U.S. Senate candidate for Maine, credibly accused of sexual assault. Yet the journalist panel remained high on Democratic prospects for the Senate, even in Maine. Moderator Jeffrey Goldberg: “This is very much an I-told-you-so kind of week for many people in domestic and international politics. On the domestic side, a lot of people have been telling the Democratic Party, maybe you shouldn't pin your Senate hopes on a guy with a Nazi tattoo. It wasn't the Nazi tattoo that did in Graham Platner, of course. It was a rape allegation that caused the left wing of the party to finally give up on their beloved putative oysterman…. PBS’s overall coverage of Platner’s rise and fall mostly spared viewers the “oysterman” schtick. However, the network evening news shows and the New York Times certainly feasted on Platner’s phony populism. As a bonus, Goldberg even played some brief gotcha games with liberal politicians for a change. Goldberg: Peter, I want you to watch Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders talk about Platner before the rape allegation surfaced. Clips followed of Warren saying "that's my kind of man" and Sanders gushing that Platner was "rather a brilliant guy."  New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker paused his Republican-bashing long enough to point out the obvious. Peter Baker: I think there's a willingness to suspend disbelief about people from your own party that you wouldn't have for people in the other party, right? In other words, they would never have accepted a Republican candidate who had a Nazi tattoo...." A confession by Susan Glasser [Baker’s wife] to feeling personally “optimistic” dovetailed suspiciously with the sense of Democrats having dodged a bullet and given themselves a better chance. New Yorker journo Susan Glasser finds bright side for Dems in Maine: I'm not usually...the person who's like, let's be all optimistic and upbeat here.... However, it did come before this July 13th deadline for them to get a new candidate who might have a better chance to win." pic.twitter.com/XLl1pYGSOr — Clay Waters

MS NOW’s Connect host Jacob Soboroff rewound the clock on Saturday to promote a short documentary called Reclaim the Flag that was released a year ago that featured several LGBTQ celebrities—some of whom were definitely more famous than others—talking about their views of the flag. Soboroff sat down with producer Alexis Bittar to discuss the film and play several soundbites that included claims to the flag as having “blood on it” and being a “violent symbol of prejudice and hate” and beliefs that people who fly the flag would kill them if they had the opportunity. Soboroff kicked off the segment by declaring, “It is every country’s greatest and most visual and most recognized symbol. It is its flag. America's flag with the stars and stripes has been a symbol of freedom and unity and love of country since 1777. But over the years, our love for this country has been tested, especially for those who feel their own identity doesn't seem to love them back.”   Jacob Soboroff promotes a nearly one-year old documentary againt LGBTQ people and the flag "But over the years, our love for this country has been tested, especially for those who feel their own identity doesn't seem to love them back." After some clips, including of actress… pic.twitter.com/KbxyQnTHN1 — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 11, 2026   He then hyped “The short documentary Reclaim the Flag, produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen and directed by jewelry designer and filmmaker Alexis Bittar, explores this through the lens of the LGBTQ community. It features well-known members of the community dissecting their own relationship with our country’s flag.” The first montage showed actress Lena Waithe and actor Jim Parsons: WAITHE: Depending on how the United States feels about you will depend on how you feel about the flag. [jump cut] If you feel like your people have been killed, wronged, been able to be seen as less than human under the flag, you're going to be triggered by it, but yet still be born under it. PARSONS: I think that it's a very radical idea in today's climate to imagine going off, for a lot of people to die, for the unity of this country. How are we united? How are we united? What are we united about? WAITHE: The American flag has blood on it. And it's drenched in it. I think that we can accept that or act as if it isn't true, and we can't change what we don't face. Soboroff then returned to add, “This film doesn't end with a clear resolution, and that is the point. Some cautiously think about embracing the flag for the first time ever, or for the first time in a while, and others acknowledge the irony of being an American while also being marginalized by parts of their own country, and all seem to argue that something has got to give in order to take the flag back as a symbol of inclusivity.” Not every clip Soboroff showed was as outrageous as Waithe and Parsons, but he was clearly excited to show the ones that were. Later, during his sit-down with Bittar, he introduced another clip, “You know, what's crazy is that, correct me if I'm wrong, but Trump's name doesn't actually come up in the film, right?... but he does—I mean, he certainly looms over it, I think. And the moment that we live in is very palpable. I want to play another portion of the association that so many people in the LGBTQ community have with this flag and, and how it relates to the symbol of unity. Let's watch this.   Later, Soboroff claims Trump "certainly looms over it, I think. And the moment that we live in is very palpable. I want to play another portion of, of the association that so many people in the LGBTQ community have with this flag and, and how it relates to the symbol of unity.… pic.twitter.com/9cKgBs05iZ — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 11, 2026   The clip package featured more flag bashing: MARC JACOBS [fashion designer]: Why, when I see an American flag, do I think of, like, MAGA and right-wing? And why do I feel like it's a violent symbol of prejudice and hatred. CHRIS KLEMENS [comedian]: I see someone hanging an American flag and I'm like, ‘You would hit me with a car if you had the opportunity.’ MATT BERNSTEIN [content creator/make-up artist]: If I'm, you know, if I'm on Grindr, right? And I see an American flag emoji in someone's bio. I think that is a Republican. HUNTER CRENSHAW [reality TV personality]: It's a negative thing to be, to see. And I and, you know, I've definitely had my fair share of talking [bleep] about it. But at the end of the day, there's something back here that still has a reverence. Soboroff reacted by wondering, “I saw that you said around the time that you were making this film and sitting with the people that are in it that some people are even nervous to talk about the country. Why do you think that is?” Bittar hinted that Trump had something to do with it, “We shot this in April of last year, and it was at a time when the government was really coming down on colleges, on institutions, about talking about America. So, I think everyone feels this kind of ominous threat of not wanting to be on the record or wanting attention to them, saying anything that's controversial about America. So it was difficult, actually, getting 50 people. We cast it in three weeks, so we had to get 50 people in three weeks to go on air and talk about it.” As it turns out, none of the people in the film ever faced any repercussions from the government. In a properly functioning media, Soboroff would have wondered if that undermined all the America-bashing, but that is not what MS NOW exists for. Here is a transcript for the July 11 show: MS NOW Connect with Jacob Soboroff 7/11/2026 12:46 PM ET JACOB SOBOROFF: It is every country’s greatest and most visual and most recognized symbol. It is its flag. America's flag with the stars and stripes has been a symbol of freedom and unity and love of country since 1777. But over the years, our love for this country has been tested, especially for those who feel their own identity doesn't seem to love them back.  The short documentary Reclaim the Flag, produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen and directed by jewelry designer and filmmaker Alexis Bittar, explores this through the lens of the LGBTQ community. It features well known members of the community dissecting their own relationship with our country’s flag. LENA WAITHE: Depending on how the United States feels about you will depend on how you feel about the flag. [jump cut] If you feel like your people have been killed, wronged, been able to be seen as less than human under the flag, you're going to be triggered by it, but yet still be born under it. JIM PARSONS: I think that it's a very radical idea in today's climate to imagine going off, for a lot of people to die, for the unity of this country. How are we united? How are we united? What are we united about? WAITHE: The American flag has blood on it. And it's drenched in it. I think that we can accept that or act as if it isn't true, and we can't change what we don't face. SOBOROFF: This film doesn't end with a clear resolution, and that is the point. Some cautiously think about embracing the flag for the first time ever, or for the first time in a while, and others acknowledge the irony of being an American while also being marginalized by parts of their own country, and all seem to argue that something has got to give in order to take the flag back as a symbol of inclusivity. … SOBOROFF: You know, what's crazy is that, correct me if I'm wrong, but Trump's name doesn't actually come up in the film, right? ALEXIS BITTAR: Yeah. SOBOROFF: Yeah. And, but he does—I mean, he certainly looms over it, I think. And the moment that we live in is very palpable. I want to play another portion of the association that so many people in the LGBTQ community have with this flag and, and how it relates to the symbol of unity. Let's watch this. MARC JACOBS: Why, when I see an American flag, do I think of, like, MAGA and right-wing? And why do I feel like it's a violent symbol of prejudice and hatred. CHRIS KLEMENS: I see someone hanging an American flag and I'm like, “You would hit me with a car if you had the opportunity.” MATT BERNSTEIN: If I'm, you know, if I'm on Grindr, right? And I see an American flag emoji in someone's bio. I think that is a Republican. HUNTER CRENSHW: It's a negative thing to be, to see. And I and, you know, I've definitely had my fair share of talking [bleep] about it. But at the end of the day, there's something back here that still has a reverence. SOBOROFF: I saw that you said around the time that you were making this film and sitting with the people that are in it that some people are even nervous to talk about the country. Why do you think that is? BITTAR: We shot this in April of last year, and it was at a time when the government was really coming down on colleges, on institutions, about talking about America. So, I think everyone feels this kind of ominous threat of not wanting to be on the record or wanting attention to them, saying anything that's controversial about America. So it was difficult, actually, getting 50 people. We cast it in three weeks, so we had to get 50 people— SOBOROFF: Wow. BITTAR: —in three weeks to go on air and talk about it.

CNBC sounds like a business channel, but it’s really just another liberal channel. When it thinks about the best “states for business,” they’re matching that with what they call “quality of life.” Some measures – health care, crime – make nonpartisan sense, but CNBC adds grades for “inclusiveness,” “protections” against discrimination, anti-gun "reforms," and naturally, “reproductive rights.” They touted their ongoing winner -- Vermont, the Bernie Sanders State:  The best states to live in for 2026: No. 1 has a six-year winning streak The best states are the most liberal states? Scott Cohn's report on Minnesota gives you a flavor: Minnesota offers among the nation’s strongest guarantees of reproductive rights, according to analysis by the Guttmacher Institute. While there are few issues more divisive than abortion, the economics of it are becoming increasingly clear-cut since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision returned the jurisdiction to the states in 2022. A 2025 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found abortion bans “increase net migration outflows” and that ”(t)he effects are more prominent for single-person households than family households, which may reflect larger effects on younger adults.” So being anti-baby is pro-business. Liberal groups are brought in to testify on behalf of blue states:  The North Star State also offers strong protections against discrimination, and it earns a near-perfect score from Oxfam America for its worker protections such as the right of workers to organize. In Maine, the Giffords gun controllers are the experts:  After a horrific mass shooting spree in 2023 in Lewiston that left 18 people dead, Maine legislators passed a series of reforms that earned the state “most improved” honors in 2024 from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Cohn really stretched on behalf of Democrats in the Virginia section. Republicans have succeeded in reducing crime, but he wants to spread credit to the Democrats who came in and promptly imposed some gun control: With just 218 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, Virginia had one of the lowest violent crime rates in the nation, according to FBI statistics. Ceasefire Virginia, launched in 2022 under Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares, both Republicans — and continuing under their Democratic successors, Abigail Spanberger and Jay Jones — targets gun violence in 13 municipalities in the Commonwealth with increased penalties for possession and use of firearms by convicted felons. An analysis of the program last year by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Public Policy credited it with a 10% decrease in homicides statewide through 2024, including a 24% reduction in homicides in Ceasefire localities.  Back in 2023, CNBC's Cohn picked all blue states for his top ten. This time, there were a couple of states Trump won in 2024, Nebraska and North Dakota. 

In an interview with the Israeli ambassador to the United States, CBS’s Margaret Brennan tried to defend Congressman Ro Khanna’s position after his incursion into the West Bank and subsequent brief detention. As is usually the case in these sorts of situations, Brennan got cooked. Watch the exchange below, which closed out the interview: WATCH: Margaret Brennan gets COOKED by Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Leiter over Ro Khanna's incursion in the West Bank MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, before I let you go, there were two high-profile incidents I want to quickly touch on here. One, a CNN crew attacked in the… pic.twitter.com/WUgo3w8zzT — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) July 12, 2026 MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, before I let you go, there were two high-profile incidents I want to quickly touch on here. One, a CNN crew attacked in the West Bank by what they say were four settlers. There was also an incident with Ro Khanna, the congressman from California, who said he was his vehicles he was in were stopped by Israeli settlers, and then when the IDF showed up, they were on the side of the settlers, not him. He said "[i]t's not a good idea to detain longshot presidential candidates". It was a warning to your government. Do you think your government needs to apologize to both him and those CNN journalists? MICHAEL LEITER: Any violence is to be condemned. No excuses, no explanations. Okay. So if CNN crew was attacked, that needs to be condemned, and I'm doing so right now. And we need to do a better job. BRENNAN: You are condemning it [unint]-- LEITER: --If- if- if it was- actually took place as they've reported it, absolutely condemning it. We need to rein in violence on all sides. Now, in terms of Ro Khanna, we reached out to him when we heard he was going to Israel, the Israeli embassy here in Washington. As all congressmen do, they coordinate their trip with the Israeli government. We suggested he visit with- with survivors of the October 7 massacre. That he visit the borders, so he understands the, the issues that we have in our borders and so on. He ignored that and he decided to coordinate his trip not with Israel, but with Palestinian activists and with J Street, which is a anti-government, anti-Israeli government advocacy group here in Washington. So you know he coordinated-- BRENNAN: It's a Jewish lobby group… LEITER: Well, it's-- BRENNAN: …that is supportive of a different path for Israel. LEITER: Yeah, yeah. I- I play tennis once a year. That doesn't make me a tennis player. The fact that they call themselves a Jewish organization is- is irrelevant. They're- they're- an advocacy group against the government of Israel. That has to be clear. BRENNAN: The current government, Netanyahu government. LEITER: Yes. Yes-- BRENNAN: That's what you mean, the government you work for. LEITER: And Congressman Khanna, there has been no secret about his antipathy towards the government of Israel as well. So perhaps if he would have coordinated the trip- and then you know to have this incident on Wednesday and wait to release it on Saturday, maybe this had more something to do with his support of- of Graham Platner beforehand and the difficulties he had with that, and trying to shift the focus to something else. Perhaps I'm asking a question. BRENNAN: Well, we did hear from Congressman Khanna, who said that there was an alert to the embassy on his behalf, and that they asked for the news… LEITER: --There was not, there was not-- BRENNAN: …to be held until he had left the country, as well. LEITER: There was a question. There was not an alert. There was a question about visas. That's all. But when we requested that he coordinate the trip with us, he rejected that by basically staying silent. So that's unfortunate. This whole incident is unfortunate. And if- if somebody, it's kind of interesting that somebody wants to declare a presidential run by running off to Israel? Not strange? BRENNAN: Well, we're going to have to leave it there, sir. There's so much more to talk about with you, but I'm out of time. Thank you for coming.  LEITER: Thank you Margaret. Good to be with you. BRENNAN:  And we'll be right back with a lot more. Face the Nation. Stay with us. The interview began, as did most business today, with memorialization of Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away earlier this morning. The conversation shifted to Iran and Lebanon, where Leiter deflected another gotcha, before moving to Ro Khanna. Brennan actually recited Khanna’s “longshot presidential candidates” quote back to Leiter. Leiter condemned the facts of the detention of the CNN crew as alleged before turning to Khanna. Leiter then proceeds to dismantle Khanna’s version of events and lay out the fact that the visit did not go through normal channels, but through opponents of the Netanyahu administration. Brennan tried to interrupt and move Leiter, to no avail.  The interview ended in a flourish, with Leiter suggesting that Khanna’s trip was a distraction from the Platner implosion and by pointing out as “interesting” a presidential launch in Israel. All that was left for Leiter was to drop an “I don’t really care, Margaret” somewhere in that exchange.  Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, July 12th, 2026: MARGARET BRENNAN: We're joined now by Israel's ambassador to the United States, Dr. Michael Leiter. Good to have you back here. MICHAEL LEITER: Good morning.  BRENNAN: Your Prime Minister this morning has been honoring Senator Lindsey Graham. I know he was a fierce advocate for Israel, and he also was really pushing for normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Just three weeks ago, on this program, he made that pitch. I wonder if you think there is a way to carry on his legacy through continuing that kind of diplomatic work. LEITER: Absolutely. Lindsey was a dear friend. My first day in Washington, January 27 2025, the first phone call I got once I landed on my seat in the embassy was from Lindsey Graham. He said, "can we have dinner tonight?" And we've been talking about normalization in the Middle East for the past year and a half. And he was not only a fierce advocate of defeating this Iranian regime, he was also a fierce advocate of what would happen afterwards. And he saw, he had a vision for peace in the Middle East. And absolutely, we have to work toward that end, but it really is going to happen if his first part of that vision is fulfilled, and that's that Iran is no longer a regional hegemon menacing its neighbors. BRENNAN: Well, three weeks ago, Lindsey Graham said on this program, “2026”. That was his vow that normalization would happen. So we'll have to follow that. LEITER: We still have some time. BRENNAN: We still have some time. Let me ask you about the other significant development overnight with Iran. The attempt to revive this truce between the United States and Iran clearly has just collapsed. This was just an attempt to have a pause to reopen the- the Strait of Hormuz, frankly. It was pretty limited in scope. But then the IRGC fired on a commercial vessel. The United States has resumed bombing. For the moment, Iran has not fired on Israel. Israel has not fired on Iran. Does Israel intend to stay on the sidelines? How do we see this conflict at this point? LEITER: President Trump has been consistent, I think, throughout this confrontation. If talks will work, if diplomacy can work, then he's in favor of the diplomatic route. But when it doesn't work, you have to go back to military and kinetic activity. When the United States signed the MOU with Iran just a few weeks ago, there was one item, just one thing, that the Iranians had to fulfill, and that was keeping the straits open. And that they've completely ignored. So they forced the U.S. to go back into kinetic activity. We're a partner, we're an ally. If the United States calls on us to rejoin kinetic activity against Iran, we're going to be there for the United States. BRENNAN: But at the moment, the U.S. is asking you to wait. LEITER: I- I didn't say that. I said the United States has not asked us to join the effort. But if that request will come in, we're going to be there. BRENNAN: Well, that MOU, when it was signed by the president in Versailles and then by the vice president, your government was opposed to this. You made no mistake that Prime Minister Netanyahu saw big flaws in this deal. When you saw what happened, was there a moment of "I told you so" here? LEITER:  No, that's not the nature of our relationship. We express our opinion. We saw flaws, but we also expressed hope that it would work. If, at the end of the day, 60 days after the MOU, we've got a denuclearized Iran, we've got Iran not producing ballistic missiles-- BRENNAN: --That is the most aggressive timeline in history-- LEITER: --And not supporting their proxies. Well, if it would be 90 days or 120 days, if we have Iran that's denuclearized, not building ballistic missiles, not supporting proxies around the region, just not being a menacing, mayhem-spreading regime, then we will have accomplished it without kinetic activity. We have doubts about the possibility of that actually working, but all we do is express our opinion. BRENNAN: Well, very clear about the very first few lines of the MOU that mentioned Lebanon, and that's where I want to go next, because the U.S. has been trying to broker these talks between the Israeli government and the Lebanese government to essentially work together against Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. Under the framework that was reached last month, Israel pledged to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon. Do you still intend to do that? What does that timeline look like? LEITER: Well, I'm actually leading the negotiations on Israel's behalf with Lebanon, so I know a thing or two about the trilateral agreement. And what the agreement with Lebanon does is completely remove Iran from the paradigm. Iran is not to be involved in Lebanon. They have no business in Lebanon. Hezbollah has no business in Lebanon. As a matter of fact, Israel and Lebanon are on the same page. We want Hezbollah out for our security and for their sovereignty. We can withdraw the moment that Hezbollah is dismantled. If Hezbollah is not dismantled, then we have to stay in our security zone because we're not going to go back to a situation where our citizens are going to be threatened by an Iranian proxy firing missiles and building tunnels so they can attack, like Hamas did October 7th. BRENNAN: Well, that's different from what the U.S. State Department has lined up here, which is specifically two pilot zones that Israel is supposed to withdraw from, and CENTCOM would oversee. Is that-- LEITER: --They're pilot zones. Pilot zones. BRENNAN: When does that happen? The withdrawal. LEITER: Well, we're preparing it right now, but the whole idea of the pilot has said the pilot zone-- BRENNAN: Because Lebanon has said that's delayed. LEITER: No, it's not delayed. We're working together with CENTCOM and the Lebanese Armed Forces to create the conditions so that we can actually move into a situation where the pilot zones are receptive to Lebanese Armed Forces. If they're not going to be receptive, if Hezbollah is going to stay there, we haven't accomplished anything, and that's why they're called pilot zones. If it works, then we continue the withdrawal. If it doesn't work, then we stay where we are. BRENNAN: Are you still going to Rome to conduct these talks, and will those pilot zone withdrawals happen anytime soon? LEITER: I certainly hope they're planned for the next few weeks. We're working on that together with CENTCOM. Am I still going to Rome? That's going to be a question regarding the the Senator Graham funeral. But certainly the talks will continue in Rome. BRENNAN: Well, before I let you go, there were two high-profile incidents I want to quickly touch on here. One, a CNN crew attacked in the West Bank by what they say were four settlers. There was also an incident with Ro Khanna, the congressman from California, who said he was his vehicles he was in were stopped by Israeli settlers, and then when the IDF showed up, they were on the side of the settlers, not him. He said "[i]t's not a good idea to detain longshot presidential candidates". It was a warning to your government. Do you think your government needs to apologize to both him and those CNN journalists? LEITER: Any violence is to be condemned. No excuses, no explanations. Okay. So if CNN crew was attacked, that needs to be condemned, and I'm doing so right now. And we need to do a better job. BRENNAN: You are condemning it [unint]-- LEITER: --If- if- if it was- actually took place as they've reported it, absolutely condemning it. We need to rein in violence on all sides. Now, in terms of Ro Khanna, we reached out to him when we heard he was going to Israel, the Israeli embassy here in Washington. As all congressmen do, they coordinate their trip with the Israeli government. We suggested he visit with- with survivors of the October 7 massacre. That he visit the borders, so he understands the, the issues that we have in our borders and so on. He ignored that and he decided to coordinate his trip not with Israel, but with Palestinian activists and with J Street, which is a anti-government, anti-Israeli government advocacy group here in Washington. So you know he coordinated-- BRENNAN: It's a Jewish lobby group… LEITER: Well, it's-- BRENNAN: …that is supportive of a different path for Israel. LEITER: Yeah, yeah. I- I play tennis once a year. That doesn't make me a tennis player. The fact that they call themselves a Jewish organization is- is irrelevant. They're- they're- an advocacy group against the government of Israel. That has to be clear. BRENNAN: The current government, Netanyahu government. LEITER: Yes. Yes-- BRENNAN: That's what you mean, the government you work for. LEITER: And Congressman Khanna, there has been no secret about his antipathy towards the government of Israel as well. So perhaps if he would have coordinated the trip- and then you know to have this incident on Wednesday and wait to release it on Saturday, maybe this had more something to do with his support of- of Graham Platner beforehand and the difficulties he had with that, and trying to shift the focus to something else. Perhaps I'm asking a question. BRENNAN: Well, we did hear from Congressman Khanna, who said that there was an alert to the embassy on his behalf, and that they asked for the news… LEITER: --There was not, there was not-- BRENNAN: …to be held until he had left the country, as well. LEITER: There was a question. There was not an alert. There was a question about visas. That's all. But when we requested that he coordinate the trip with us, he rejected that by basically staying silent. So that's unfortunate. This whole incident is unfortunate. And if- if somebody, it's kind of interesting that somebody wants to declare a presidential run by running off to Israel? Not strange? BRENNAN: Well, we're going to have to leave it there, sir. There's so much more to talk about with you, but I'm out of time. Thank you for coming.  LEITER: Thank you Margaret. Good to be with you. BRENNAN:  And we'll be right back with a lot more. Face the Nation. Stay with us.  

The shocking and untimely passing of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) forced the Elitist Media Sunday shows to scramble and adjust their programming. CNN’s Jake Tapper, though, did not let that stop him from injecting Trump derangement into his program. Watch as Tapper opens State of the Union with a very Trump-centric summation of Graham’s Senate career: WATCH: Jake Tapper's TDS-soaked summation of Lindsey Graham's career to open @CNNSOTU. Trump Derangement pauses for no one, not even for a senator's death. JAKE TAPPER: Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, has died at age 71 after what's being described as a brief and… pic.twitter.com/HYVbJkLRKX — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) July 12, 2026 JAKE TAPPER: Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, has died at age 71 after what's being described as a brief and sudden illness. The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee was one of the most powerful and best-known senators. A former Trump critic turned fervent ally, a foreign policy hawk and interventionalist who frequently met with the leaders of Israel and Ukraine, where he was just visiting. Overnight, President Trump called Senator Graham, quote, “one of the greatest people and Senators I've ever known”, unquote. And it was Graham's relationship with the president that dominated the later part of his life, the last decade. A former protege of the late Senator John McCain, Lindsey Graham ran for president against Trump in 2016, called Trump, quote, “unfit for office” and much more. LINDSEY GRAHAM: You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell. TAPPER: But after Trump's election, Graham affixed himself to the president, becoming a frequent golf partner and confidante. He referred to himself as The President's North Star. He hoped to influence the president on the issues. GRAHAM: Mr. President, I will be your strongest ally in the United States Senate. TAPPER: One area, of course, where that didn't work is the January 6th riot. In the aftermath, Graham famously said he was done with President Trump. GRAHAM: From my point of view, he's been a consequential president. But today, first thing you'll see- all I can say is, count me out. Enough is enough. TAPPER: He and the president later reconciled. Graham, explaining his actions as a desire to continue to be relevant and to influence policy and the country. Before Trump, Graham and his dear friend John McCain were known as Senate mavericks. Graham bucked his party to vote for comprehensive immigration reform, climate change legislation, and two of President Obama's Supreme Court nominees. But that was all before 2016. Graham had been a JAG attorney in the Air Force before he ran for office and continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves, even as a Senator. The Senator never married. He had a difficult time as a young adult, his parents dying with. Within about 15 months when Graham was in college. He then helped to raise his 13 year old sister, Darlene. He later adopted her. CNN is learning that around 8:30 PM last night, dispatchers reported a 911 call about chest pains linked to Graham's residence. Emergency crew members had to initiate a forced entry into the home, and a dispatcher later said the crew was performing CPR. Trump Derangement Syndrome pauses for no one’s death, not even that of a long-sitting U.S. Senator who always took the time to engage with the Elitist Media when many others did not. Tapper selected for Trump while recounting Graham’s service in the Senate, not taking into account his time in the House (where he served as a Clinton impeachment manager), his votes for Obama’s Supreme Court justices (Sotomayor and Kagan), and his support for “comprehensive immigration reform.” As far as Tapper was concerned Graham’s history began and ended with Trump: in a nutshell, 2016 and January 6th. This limited view of history conveniently excises what many, including President Trump over the course of multiple interviews, consider to be Graham’s finest hour: his fiery defense of Brett Kavanaugh in the midst of Democrat attempts to keep him off the Supreme Court: The Kavanaugh Confirmation- Lindsey Graham's finest hour. Requiescat in Pace pic.twitter.com/trEtnF8Y7Y — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) July 12, 2026 CHUCK GRASSLEY: Senator Graham asked for the floor. But before he does: it seems to me that if you want to know something, you got the witness right here to ask him. And secondly, if you want an FBI report you can ask for it yourself. I’ve asked for FBI reports myself in the past, in the 38 years I’ve been in the Senate. Senator Graham. LINDSEY GRAHAM: 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. Did you meet with Senator Dianne Feinstein on August 20th?  KAVANAUGH: I did meet with Senator Feinstein… GRAHAM: Did you know that her staff had already recommended a lawyer to Dr. Ford? KAVANAUGH: ... I did not know that. GRAHAM: Did you know that her and her staff had this -- allegations for over 20 days? KAVANAUGH: I did not know that at the time. GRAHAM: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. When you see Sotomayor and Kagan, tell them that Lindsey said hello because I voted for them. 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. Are you a gang rapist? KAVANAUGH: No. GRAHAM: I cannot imagine what you and your family have gone through. 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. 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? KAVANAUGH: If (ph) the advice and consent role is like a job interview. GRAHAM: Do you consider that you've been through a job interview? KAVANAUGH: I've been through a process of advice and consent under the Constitution, which… GRAHAM: Would you say you've been through hell? KAVANAUGH: I -- I've been through hell and then some. GRAHAM: This is not a job interview. KAVANAUGH: Yes. GRAHAM: This is hell. KAVANAUGH: This -- this… GRAHAM: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. There was no time for that, though. Tapper would continue his nasty business during his interview with Graham’s South Carolina colleague, Senator Tim Scott. An interview that was supposed to be about Graham detoured for a subtle “where’s Mitch” dig: GROSS: Tapper leverages the death of Lindsey Graham into a subtle "where's Mitch" gotcha attempt with Tim Scott, which is immediately rebuffed JAKE TAPPER: So, the Senate reconvenes tomorrow. Senator Graham was taken to the same hospital where Senator Mitch McConnell is… pic.twitter.com/wYlw7sUbLe — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) July 12, 2026 JAKE TAPPER: So the Senate reconvenes tomorrow. Senator Graham was taken to the same hospital where Senator Mitch McConnell is currently recovering from his health issues. It's a tough time for Senate Republicans right now. TIM SCOTT: Well, it's a time for prayer for those folks who are ailing. There's no doubt about it, that Senator McConnell deserves our prayers. He served our country valiantly and and continues to be in good spirits from all that I've heard. I texted him over the weekend, I will simply say that we have a lot of work to get done, and we'll get our work done, but we certainly will miss Lindsey Graham. And as we focus on the next few weeks in the Senate, we'll take a step back and remember that we're all human. In fact, we all have families. We all are just there trying to serve the greatest country on the planet, and we'll get the work done. But in the next 48 hours and probably beyond, we'll spend time celebrating the life of Lindsey Graham, mourning the loss of Lindsey Graham, but understanding why he was so important to America, and hopefully doubling down on keeping Americans safe here at home and anywhere we travel. Scott refused to take the bait, and shut down Tapper’s narrative line by bringing it back to honoring the memory of Lindsey Graham. “We are all human,” indeed. In a hilarious exchange to end his interview with President Donald Trump, Tapper demonstrates his painful lack of self-awareness.  President Trump: “We’re trying to have CNN go on a normal path.”@JakeTapper: “Well, I’m on a normal path right here, sir.” pic.twitter.com/98LMMm8jJ2 — Brent Baker