Lindsey Graham was ‘loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious’: Tim Scott

Senate Lindsey Graham was ‘loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious’: Tim Scott Comments: by Ryan Mancini - 07/12/26 10:07 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Ryan Mancini - 07/12/26 10:07 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) on Sunday said his colleague Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died suddenly the night before, could be “loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious.”

Scott reflected on his time working with Graham in the Senate during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with Gillian Turner, saying Graham’s death left a hole in the Senate that “cannot be filled” and that it could take “many of us to step up to the plate and take on the responsibilities that he had from a global perspective.”

“And as you know, I know Lindsey Graham was never kind and gentle about the priorities he had,” Scott later said. “He was loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious, because he understood that he had the power of a microphone to make a difference, not for himself but for others.”

Graham’s office said the senator died after a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday night. He was 71.

Scott said he spoke with Graham about issues affecting South Carolinians, including foreign policy and affordability.

“And Lindsey, just being who he was, spent about 10 seconds on affordability and 90 minutes on foreign policy because you can’t change the guy,” Scott said. “And because of that, because people in South Carolina understood who he was, they kept re-electing him, because they knew that he was a statesman, not a politician.”

Scott also praised Graham’s defense of Ukraine, saying his colleague stood in the way of allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin from creating “a Ukrainian genocide.”

“Lindsey Graham wanted to stand in the gap and say, ‘Hades no, not on my watch,'” Scott continued. “And he encouraged President Trump to be as invested as possible.”

Graham had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday before his death.

Scott added that Graham encouraged lawmakers to “do the right thing” and was “one of the strongest cheerleaders for making sure the investment we made in our military was an ROI, the return on that invested dollar would be very strong.”

Elected Republicans showed an outpouring of praise for Graham, who ascended to the Senate after an eight-year stint in the House. He succeeded former Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) in 2003 and later launched an unsuccessful campaign for president in 2016.

President Trump praised Graham, his longtime ally and defense hawk who has championed his war in Iran.

“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said his “heart is heavy” to learn of Graham’s death.

“Lindsey’s long and dedicated service in the Air Force and in Congress carried him to far-flung regions of the world,” he said on social media. “He was a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe.”

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