Major Controversies Surrounding Lindsey Graham: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around Lindsey Graham—discover key moments of controversy.

Lindsey Graham is an American politician and attorney, currently serving as the senior United States Senator from South Carolina since 2003. A prominent member of the Republican Party, he previously chaired the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2019 to 2021. Graham's career has been marked by his long tenure in the Senate and his involvement in key legislative and political debates.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

November 1997: Co-sponsored Clinton Impeachment Resolution

In November 1997, Lindsey Graham was one of 18 House Republicans to co-sponsor a resolution by Bob Barr that sought to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Bill Clinton.

October 8, 1998: Voted for Clinton Impeachment Inquiry

On October 8, 1998, Lindsey Graham voted in favor of legislation to open an impeachment inquiry into President Bill Clinton. He later served as a House impeachment manager in the impeachment trial.

1998: Controversy Over Military Record

In 1998, The Hill newspaper questioned whether Graham was portraying himself as an Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran on his website, which Graham denied.

1998: Past Statements on Presidential Impeachment

In December 2019, during Trump's impeachment, Democrats referenced statements Graham made during the 1998 impeachment of Bill Clinton, including his citation of Richard Nixon as proof that a president who ignored a subpoena should be impeached for taking power away from Congress.

2002: Vote for Iraq Resolution

In 2002, Lindsey Graham voted for the Iraq Resolution, which authorized military action against Iraq, and he supported the invasion of Iraq.

November 2005: Amendment to Department of Defense Authorization Act

In November 2005, Lindsey Graham authored an amendment to a Department of Defense Authorization Act attempting to clarify the authority of American courts regarding detainees, which passed despite opposition.

2006: Support for Constitutional Amendment Opposing Same-Sex Marriage

In 2006, Lindsey Graham voted in support of a constitutional amendment that opposed marriage between same-sex couples, stating his belief in the traditional definition of marriage and the necessity of protecting it through a constitutional amendment.

May 2009: Domestic Internment as a Model

In May 2009, during a CNN interview, Lindsey Graham referenced the domestic internment of German and Japanese prisoners of war and U.S. Citizens during World War II as a model for domestic detention of Guantanamo detainees.

June 2010: Graham Questions Global Warming Science

In June 2010, Lindsey Graham stated that the science about global warming had changed and that the issue had been oversold. He also indicated his plan to vote against the climate bill he initially co-sponsored.

July 2010: Suggested Amending U.S. Citizenship Laws

In July 2010, Lindsey Graham suggested amending the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution regarding birthright citizenship, proposing that children born to illegal immigrants should also be considered illegal immigrants.

November 6, 2010: Call for Preemptive Military Strike Against Iran

On November 6, 2010, Lindsey Graham advocated for a preemptive military strike aimed at weakening the Iranian regime.

April 3, 2011: Suggested Action Against Koran-Burning

On April 3, 2011, during an appearance on Face the Nation, Lindsey Graham suggested that Congress take action against the Koran-burning by Florida preacher Terry Jones, citing concerns about freedom of speech during wartime.

2012: Graham Statement on Benghazi

In January 29, 2013, Lindsey Graham commented on Hillary Clinton and Benghazi attack, the event occurred in 2012.

January 29, 2013: Comment on Hillary Clinton and Benghazi

On January 29, 2013, Lindsey Graham said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "got away with murder" after her testimony about the 2012 Benghazi attack.

July 16, 2013: Suggestion of Boycotting Sochi Olympics

On July 16, 2013, Lindsey Graham suggested that the United States should consider boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

2013: Glad NSA Was Collecting Phone Records

In response to the 2013 disclosures about the NSA's surveillance, Lindsey Graham expressed that he was "glad" the NSA was collecting phone records, stating that he didn't mind Verizon turning over records to the government to match terrorist phones.

2014: Suggestion of Boycotting Sochi Olympics

On July 16, 2013, Lindsey Graham suggested that the United States should consider boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

June 17, 2015: Graham addresses Charleston church shooting

After the mass shooting at a historic African American church in Charleston on June 17, 2015, Lindsey Graham cancelled campaign events and addressed the Confederate flag debate, stating it was time for South Carolina to revisit the decision while emphasizing the shooter's personal responsibility for the crime.

July 2015: Called Trump a "Jackass"

In July 2015, when Graham was a presidential candidate, he called Donald Trump a "jackass" for his comments about John McCain. Trump responded by calling Graham an "idiot" and revealing Graham's personal cellphone number.

December 2015: Criticized Trump's Muslim Ban Proposal

In December 2015, Graham criticized Donald Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, calling him a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot."

2015: Conflict with Trump

In 2015, Graham and Trump had a conflict that was significant enough that a later meeting in March 2017 was referenced as a reconciliation.

February 2016: Graham's previous criticism of Trump

In February 2016, Graham publicly stated that he considered Trump a "kook", "crazy", and "unfit for office".

May 2016: Tweet on Trump Nomination

In May 2016, Graham tweeted, "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed...and we will deserve it."

May 2016: Graham announces he won't vote for Trump or Clinton

In May 2016, after it appeared certain that Donald Trump would become the Republican nominee, Lindsey Graham announced that he would not vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton.

June 2016: Criticized Trump's Comments on Judge

In June 2016, after Trump criticized a judge of Mexican heritage, Graham said Trump was "playing the race card" and that people needed to reconsider the future of the Republican party.

2016: Position on Supreme Court Vacancies in Election Years

In 2016, after Justice Scalia's death, as Republican senators boycotted Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland, Graham argued that Supreme Court vacancies should not be filled in a presidential election year, setting a precedent.

2016: Graham received campaign contributions from Thornton Law Firm

In 2016, it was reported that Lindsey Graham was "the only Republican recipient of money from a major Democratic donor now facing scrutiny for some questionable campaign donation habits." Over a ten-year period, Graham received $62,800 in campaign contributions from partners at the Thornton Law Firm, known for asbestos-related litigation.

2016: Critic of Donald Trump

Throughout 2016, Lindsey Graham was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy and repeatedly stated he did not support him.

January 5, 2017: Condemnation of Obama's Abstention on UN Resolution

On January 5, 2017, Lindsey Graham criticized President Obama for abstaining from UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement building.

January 2018: Graham recommends charges against Christopher Steele

In January 2018, Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley recommended charges against ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele, author of the Steele dossier, for allegedly lying to federal authorities regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

August 2018: Graham's statement on Trump and racism

In August 2018, Graham stated to The Washington Post that he had never heard Trump make a single racist statement.

October 2018: Stance on Filling Supreme Court Openings in Election Year

In October 2018, Graham said that "[i]f an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, we'll wait till the next election."

2018: Strong Stance on Kavanaugh Confirmation

In 2018, during Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Lindsey Graham staunchly opposed delaying the process due to Christine Blasey Ford's allegations of sexual assault. After Ford's testimony, Graham expressed doubt about her recollection and defended Kavanaugh.

May 14, 2019: Encouragement to Ignore Subpoena

On May 14, 2019, Graham faced scrutiny, including from Senator Joe Manchin, for encouraging Donald Trump Jr. to ignore a subpoena issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

May 2019: Call for Military Invasion of Venezuela

In May 2019, Lindsey Graham advocated for a military invasion of Venezuela to overthrow Nicolás Maduro amid the Venezuelan presidential crisis.

July 2019: Defense of Trump against Racism Accusations

In July 2019, Graham defended Trump against accusations of racism, stating that he did not believe Trump's comments about Democratic congresswomen were racist.

November 2019: Graham blocks Senate resolution on Armenian genocide

In November 2019, Lindsey Graham blocked a Senate resolution that would have officially recognized the Armenian genocide.

December 2019: Statements on Trump's Impeachment

In December 2019, as impeachment articles against Trump were moving forward, Graham stated that he had already made up his mind and would do everything he could to ensure the impeachment would die quickly in the Senate. He also expressed disdain for the accusations and process, stating he did not need any witnesses.

August 2020: Rules Changed After Kavanaugh Confirmation

In August 2020, Lindsey Graham asserted that "after Kavanaugh's confirmation, the rules have changed as far as I'm concerned."

September 2020: Support for Immediate Vote on Supreme Court Nominee

In September 2020, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lindsey Graham voiced his support for the Senate immediately voting on President Trump's nominee, a position seen as a reversal of his earlier stance.

2020: Reaction to Biden's election victory

In 2020, after major news networks projected Joe Biden's victory in the United States presidential election, Graham urged Trump not to concede, contributed $500,000 to Trump's election lawsuits, and suggested invalidating election results to appoint pro-Trump electors.

2020: Statement on Voting Irregularities

In 2020, after receiving an affidavit alleging mail ballot backdating, Graham called for investigations into voting irregularities, despite the affidavit later being recanted.

2020: Call to Georgia Secretary of State

In 2020, during the recount in Georgia's presidential election, Graham called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to discuss the possibility of disqualifying mail-in ballots with signature errors, a suggestion Raffensperger viewed as an attempt to discard legally cast ballots. Graham denied the suggestion.

January 6, 2021: Response to Capitol Attack

On January 6, 2021, after being evacuated from the Capitol due to the attack by Trump supporters, Graham returned to the Senate chamber to certify the Electoral College votes. He broke with many Republican colleagues by affirming that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were lawfully elected.

February 2021: Investigation into Graham's Phone Call

In February 2021, The Washington Post reported that the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney, Fani Willis, was examining Graham's 2020 phone call to Brad Raffensperger as part of a criminal investigation into possible efforts to illegally overturn Georgia's election results.

July 8, 2021: Criticism of Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal

On July 8, 2021, Lindsey Graham called President Biden's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan a "disaster in the making."

August 2021: Reported Call with Biden After Election

In August 2021, The New York Times reported that Graham called Biden after the 2020 election to revive their friendship and claimed he had only called for a special counsel investigation of Hunter Biden to appease Trump supporters. Graham's spokesman disputed the Times's account.

March 3, 2022: Tweet Suggesting Putin's Assassination

On March 3, 2022, Lindsey Graham tweeted, suggesting that someone in Russia should assassinate Vladimir Putin, which drew backlash and condemnation from American politicians.

August 2022: Remarks on Same-Sex Marriage Bill

In August 2022, after the House of Representatives approved a bill to recognize same-sex marriages at the federal level, Lindsey Graham stated that "states should decide the issue of marriage" and opposed federal government involvement in defining marriage.

September 2022: Introduced Legislation for Federal Abortion Ban

In September 2022, despite previously supporting states' rights on abortion, Lindsey Graham introduced legislation for a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

May 26, 2023: Controversy over Remarks on Ukraine War

On May 26, 2023, Lindsey Graham's remarks about the war in Ukraine during a conversation with President Zelenskyy caused controversy. An edited video was released, but the unedited version clarified that Graham's comments were unrelated.

May 29, 2023: Russian Arrest Warrant and Graham's Response

On May 29, 2023, the Russian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Lindsey Graham due to his comments about the war. Graham responded with "immense joy" and stated he would wear the warrant as a "Badge of Honor."

October 10, 2023: Support for Israel During Gaza War

On October 10, 2023, Lindsey Graham expressed his support for Israel during the Gaza war, calling the conflict a "religious war" and suggesting that Gaza should be "flattened".

October 31, 2023: No Concern Over Civilian Casualties in Gaza

On October 31, 2023, Lindsey Graham stated that no amount of civilian casualties in Gaza would cause him to question Israel's goal of eradicating Hamas.

March 9, 2024: Call to Dismantle Palestinian School System

On March 9, 2024, Lindsey Graham stated that Palestinian children are being taught to kill all Jews and called for the destruction of the Palestinian school system.

April 2024: Criticism of Trump on Abortion Ban

In April 2024, Graham criticized Trump for not supporting a federal abortion ban, leading Trump to express regret for endorsing Graham in his 2020 Senate campaign.

May 8, 2024: Warning Against Halting Arms Supply to Israel

On May 8, 2024, Lindsey Graham warned the Pentagon against halting arms supply to Israel during the Gaza war, comparing the situation to "Hiroshima and Nagasaki on steroids," which caused debate in the Japanese National Diet.

May 2024: Acceptance of Election Results Contingency

In May 2024, Graham stated that he would accept the results of the presidential election only "if there's no massive cheating".

September 2024: Lobbying for Winner-Take-All Electoral System in Nebraska

In September 2024, Graham visited Nebraska to lobby Governor Jim Pillen for a special session to adopt a winner-take-all electoral system, aiming to prevent Kamala Harris from receiving the state's one Electoral College vote. The effort ultimately failed.

October 2024: Criticism of Harris and Biden's Immigration Policy

In October 2024, Graham criticized Republican voters supporting Harris, calling her the "most radical nominee" and arguing that the Biden-Harris immigration policy posed a greater danger than Trump's rhetoric.

January 2025: Disagreement with Trump's Actions as President

In January 2025, Graham publicly disagreed with several of Trump's initial actions as president, including pardoning January 6 defendants, removing security details for former officials, and firing Inspectors General.