The twisted trail of Lindsey Graham

Opinion>Opinions - White House The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill The twisted trail of Lindsey Graham Comments: by Bill Press, opinion contributor - 07/14/26 9:30 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Bill Press, opinion contributor - 07/14/26 9:30 AM ET Comments: Link copied

Senate Budget Committee Chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives for a hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s choice for Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Of my four years of high school Latin, very little has stuck. But one phrase remains lodged in my mind: “De mortuis nil nisi bonum.” Loosely translated, that means “Of the dead, don’t say anything but good things.”

That dictum popped into my head when I learned the sad news of the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). But life is not that black and white. Yes, there are many good things to be said about Graham, but his life and political career are so complex it defies characterization as all positive or all negative.

I first met Graham when he was a young Republican congressman from South Carolina and I was the new co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire.” He quickly became one of our favorite guests because he was so sharp, funny and articulate, the kind of moderate Republican everybody at that time admired. But the Graham I knew and admired then is not the same Graham we have seen in the last ten years. His political path took so many twists and turns, it is hard to keep up with them.

In those days, although clearly a conservative Republican, Graham was never afraid to differ with his own party when he felt it necessary. When he moved up to the Senate in 2003, he immediately became a major player. He teamed up and became best friends with another maverick, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). In turn, the two of them soon joined forces with Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.). Self-branded the “Three Amigos,” Republicans McCain and Graham and Democrat Lieberman co-sponsored legislation and traveled the globe together as proponents of a strong foreign policy.

It was no surprise, then, when Graham became one of the first Senate Republicans to denounce the candidacy of Donald Trump, especially after Trump claimed McCain was no “war hero” because he’d been captured. “I like people who weren’t captured,” Trump said in July 2015. In return, Graham called Trump a “demagogue” and a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” “You know how you make America great again?” Graham said in a CNN interview in 2015. “Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.” He likened Trump’s winning the nomination to “being shot in the head,” and later admitted voting for independent candidate Evan McMullin in 2016, rather than for Trump or Hillary Clinton.

But then Trump was elected, and suddenly, as the New York Times headlined, Graham went “from Trump critic to acolyte.” He became one of Trump’s closest advisers, frequent guest at the White House, and regular golf partner. McCain’s former best friend was now Trump’s new BFF. For four years. Until Jan. 6, 2021. Then Graham did another 180.

After the Trump-inspired assault on the Capitol, Graham publicly broke with Trump. “We’ve had a hell of a journey,” he told reporters that evening. “I hate it to end this way. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president.” But “all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”

That didn’t last long. Trump didn’t change, but Graham changed once again. Maybe he missed the thrill of Oval Office meetings, or yukking it up with POTUS on the golf course. Who knows? But five months later, Graham rejoined the Trump choir. “Can we move forward without President Trump? The answer is no,” he said in May 2021. And this time he remained an effusive Trump acolyte until the end. Just last month, after giving thanks to God for his primary victory in South Carolina, Graham jokingly thanked Trump second: “Mr. President, you’re not far behind God.”

News of Graham’s sudden death brought a cascade of tributes from his Senate colleagues, including many Democrats, who hailed him as a patriot, hard-worker, effective advocate for South Carolina, champion of America’s leadership on the world stage, and someone they all got along with.

All of which is true. But it’s also true that Graham was one of Trump’s greatest enablers. Like Marco Rubio, JD Vance, and others, Graham went from denouncing Trump as against everything the Republican Party stood for to embracing him, even after he sent a mob to invade the Capitol, destroyed the East Wing of the White House, and added $10 trillion to the national debt.

In writing Graham’s story, it is important to tell the truth. Yes, he served his country well, in the military, and in the House and Senate. But then he became Trump’s wing man. Trump would not be where he is today without him.

Bill Press is host of The Bill Press Pod. He is the author of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”