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 a U.S. Senator for South Carolina since 2003. As a member of the Republican Party, he previously chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021. Graham's career has been marked by his presence in national politics and involvement in legal and legislative matters.
1973: Graham stated that abortion was handled by the United States until 1973.
In May 2022, Lindsey Graham advocated that the Supreme Court overturn Roe to ensure that "every state will decide if abortion is legal and on what terms", as this would be the way the United States handled the issue until 1973.
1996: Voted for the Defense of Marriage Act
In 1996, Lindsey Graham voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as between one man and one woman and enacted non-recognition of same-sex marriages at the federal level.
November 1997: Co-sponsored Impeachment Resolution
In November 1997, Graham co-sponsored a resolution by Bob Barr seeking to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Bill Clinton.
October 8, 1998: Voted to Open Impeachment Inquiry
On October 8, 1998, Graham voted in favor of legislation to open an impeachment inquiry into President Bill Clinton.
1998: Response to Desert Shield and Desert Storm Veteran Claims
In 1998, The Hill newspaper reported Graham described himself as a Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran on his website. Graham responded that he "never deployed".
1998: Graham's previous statements during Bill Clinton's impeachment
In December 2019, Democrats referenced Lindsey Graham's statements 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.
2002: Voted for the Iraq Resolution
In 2002, Lindsey Graham voted for the Iraq Resolution, which authorized military action against Iraq, and he also supported the subsequent invasion of Iraq.
2003: Senior military lawyers raised concerns about legality of interrogations at Guantanamo Bay
As early as 2003, senior military lawyers raised concerns about the legality of the interrogations of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay.
June 2004: US Supreme Court decision allowing detainees to file habeas corpus petitions.
In June 2004 the U.S. Supreme Court allowed detainees to file habeas corpus petitions to challenge their detentions. In response to this Graham authored an amendment to a Department of Defense Authorization Act attempting to clarify the authority of American courts.
July 2005: Graham secured declassification and release of memoranda about legality of interrogations at Guantanamo Bay
In July 2005, Lindsey Graham secured the declassification and release of memoranda outlining concerns made by senior military lawyers as early as 2003 about the legality of the interrogations of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay.
November 2005: Amendment to clarify authority of American courts passed in the Senate.
In November 2005, an amendment to a Department of Defense Authorization Act, authored by Graham attempting to clarify the authority of American courts, passed in the Senate by a vote of 49–42 despite opposition from human rights groups and legal scholars.
2005: Detainee Treatment Act of 2005.
In 2005, Congress passed the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 that would strip the Supreme Court of jurisdiction to hear pending cases brought by Guantanamo detainees.
February 2006: Graham filed amicus brief in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case
In February 2006, Lindsey Graham joined Senator Jon Kyl in filing an amicus brief in the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case that argued Congress was aware that the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 would strip the Supreme Court of jurisdiction to hear pending cases brought by Guantanamo detainees.
2006: Supported a constitutional amendment opposing same-sex marriage
In 2006, Lindsey Graham voted to support a constitutional amendment opposing marriage between same-sex couples, stating his belief in the traditional definition of marriage and the need to protect it. He believed a constitutional amendment was the only effective way to address judicial trends towards recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
2006: Court Ruling on Military Judge Service
In 2006, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces set aside a lower court's ruling, concluding that it was improper for Graham to serve as a military judge while a sitting member of the Senate.
2008: Russia's invasion of Georgian land
In 2008, Lindsey Graham cosponsored a resolution that contended that "Russia's invasion of Georgian land in 2008 was an act of aggression, not only to Georgia but to all new democracies."
May 2009: Graham referred to domestic internment of Japanese and German prisoners as a model.
In a May 2009 CNN interview, Lindsey Graham referred to the domestic internment of German and Japanese prisoners of war and U.S. Citizens as a model for domestic detention of Guantanamo detainees.
June 2010: Stated the science about global warming has changed
In June 2010, Lindsey Graham told reporters that the science about global warming had changed and that the movement had taken a giant step backward. He also said that he planned to vote against the climate bill he had originally co-sponsored.
July 2010: Graham suggested amending the 14th Amendment
In July 2010, Lindsey Graham suggested that U.S. citizenship as a birthright guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution should be amended.
November 6, 2010: Called for a preemptive military strike to weaken the Iranian regime
On November 6, 2010, Lindsey Graham called for a preemptive military strike to weaken the Iranian regime.
December 2010: Voted against the ratification of New Start
In December 2010, Lindsey Graham was one of 26 senators to vote against the ratification of New Start, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and the Russian Federation.
2010: Start of suspicious contributions to Graham
Between 2010 and 2014, the Thornton Law Firm and its partners engaged in practices to reimburse political contributions, raising suspicions about campaign donation habits.
April 3, 2011: Graham suggested Congress take action against Koran-burning by Terry Jones
On April 3, 2011, Lindsey Graham suggested that Congress take unspecified though formal action against the Koran-burning by Florida preacher Terry Jones, and asserted that Congress might need to explore limiting some forms of freedom of speech.
August 2011: Co-sponsored a resolution on Russia's invasion of Georgia
In August 2011, Lindsey Graham co-sponsored a resolution that contended that "Russia's invasion of Georgian land in 2008 was an act of aggression, not only to Georgia but to all new democracies."
2011: Supported continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq
In 2011, Lindsey Graham supported a continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq, stating that without 10,000 to 15,000 American troops in Iraq in 2012, Iraq could "go to hell".
2012: Proposed troop numbers for Iraq
In 2012, Lindsey Graham believed that If we're not smart enough to work with the Iraqis to have 10,000 to 15,000 American troops in Iraq in 2012, Iraq could go to hell.
2012: Testimony about the 2012 Benghazi attack
In 2012, Lindsey Graham said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "got away with murder" after her testimony about the 2012 Benghazi attack. He had a different take the next year.
January 29, 2013: Said Hillary Clinton got away with murder
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. He had a different take the next year.
February 28, 2013: Criticized budget reduction
On February 28, 2013, Lindsey Graham criticized Obama and both political parties for allowing budget reduction to occur with "two-thirds of the budget" exempt from reductions. He argued the impact on the Department of Defense would create a "hollow military" that "invites aggression".
July 16, 2013: Suggested boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia
On July 16, 2013, Lindsey Graham suggested the United States should consider boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, due to concerns about the actions of the Russian government.
July 25, 2013: Senate Committee adopted amendment by Graham seeking sanctions against countries offering asylum to Edward Snowden
On July 25, 2013, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations unanimously adopted an amendment by Lindsey Graham to the Fiscal Year 2014 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill that sought sanctions against any country that offered asylum to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
2013: Graham defended NSA collecting phone records
In 2013, in response to disclosures about the United States National Security Agency's global surveillance, Lindsey Graham said he was glad the NSA was collecting phone records and didn't mind Verizon turning over records to the government to match terrorist phones.
2013: Democrats changed Senate rules to allow a simple majority vote for nominees
In 2013, years before his 2016 pledge, Democrats changed Senate rules to allow a simple majority vote for nominees to United States courts of appeals.
2014: Suspicious contributions to Graham
Between 2010 and 2014, the Thornton Law Firm and its partners engaged in practices to reimburse political contributions, raising suspicions about campaign donation habits.
2014: Boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia
In 2014, Lindsey Graham suggested the United States should consider boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, due to concerns about the actions of the Russian government.
2014: Amendment by Graham sought sanctions against countries offering asylum to Edward Snowden.
In Fiscal Year 2014, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations adopted an amendment by Lindsey Graham to seek sanctions against any country that offered asylum to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
June 17, 2015: Responds to Charleston church shooting
Following the mass shooting at a historic African American church in Charleston on June 17, 2015, Lindsey Graham canceled campaign events and addressed questions about the Confederate flag, stating it was time for South Carolinians to revisit its presence at the State Capitol while also attributing the shooting to the individual's actions, not external influences like books, movies, or symbols.
July 2015: Called Trump a "jackass"
In July 2015, Graham, then a presidential candidate, called Donald Trump a "jackass" for his comments about John McCain. Trump retaliated by calling Graham an "idiot" and revealing Graham's personal cellphone number at a rally.
December 2015: Graham's Criticism of Trump's Muslim Ban Proposal
In December 2015, Graham strongly criticized Donald Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, calling him a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot."
2015: Graham and Trump conflict
In 2015, Lindsey Graham and Donald Trump had a conflict which was later referenced by Graham when he shared his new phone number with Trump in March 2017 after a successful meeting.
2015: Graham sponsored the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the Senate.
In 2015, Lindsey Graham sponsored the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the Senate, which bans abortion after 20 weeks of gestation on a national basis, with some exceptions.
February 2016: Graham calls Trump a kook and unfit for office
In February 2016, Lindsey Graham described Donald Trump as a "kook", "crazy", and "unfit for office."
May 2016: Graham warns of destruction if Trump is nominated
In May 2016, Lindsey Graham tweeted that nominating Donald Trump would lead to the destruction of the Republican party, and they would deserve it.
June 2016: Graham criticizes Trump's remarks about judge's heritage
In June 2016, Lindsey Graham criticized Donald Trump's remarks about a judge of Mexican heritage, stating he was playing the race card and that it was "very un-American". Graham also suggested that people should reconsider the future of the Republican party if Trump continued this line of attack.
2016: Russian interference in the election
In 2016, Graham was involved in the investigation into Russian interference in the election.
2016: Graham's pledge on Supreme Court nominees
In 2016, Lindsey Graham made a pledge regarding filling Supreme Court vacancies during a presidential election year.
2016: Graham stated Supreme Court vacancies should never be filled in a presidential election year
In 2016, after Justice Antonin Scalia's death, Lindsey Graham stated that Supreme Court vacancies should never be filled in a presidential election year. He also stated that Republicans were setting a precedent.
2016: Report on campaign contributions from Thornton Law Firm
In 2016, it was reported that Lindsey Graham was the only Republican recipient of money from the Thornton Law Firm, a major Democratic donor facing scrutiny for questionable campaign donation habits.
January 5, 2017: Condemned Obama for abstaining from UN Security Council Resolution 2334
On January 5, 2017, Lindsey Graham condemned Obama for abstaining from UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which criticized Israeli settlement building.
March 2017: Graham voted for the Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal
In March 2017, Lindsey Graham voted for the Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal that removed the FCC's internet privacy rules and allowed internet service providers to sell customers' browsing history without their permission.
October 2017: Called for an expanded role of the U.S. military in Niger
In October 2017, following the Tongo Tongo ambush, Lindsey Graham called for an expanded role of the U.S. military in Niger and more aggressive actions toward U.S. enemies in Africa.
November 2017: Graham criticizes media reporting on Trump
In November 2017, Lindsey Graham criticized the media's reporting on Donald Trump, stating that the American press was endlessly trying to label Trump as unfit for president.
January 2018: Recommends charges against Christopher Steele
In January 2018, Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley recommended charges against ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele, the author of the Steele dossier, for allegedly lying to federal authorities during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
August 2018: Graham defends Trump against accusations of racism
In August 2018, The Washington Post reported that Lindsey Graham had stated he had never heard Donald Trump make a single racist statement.
October 2018: Graham clarified stance on filling Supreme Court vacancies during presidential election year
In October 2018, Lindsey Graham stated that if a Supreme Court opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, the Senate will wait until the next election to fill it.
2018: Graham questioned Ford's testimony during Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings
During the 2018 confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, Lindsey Graham took a strong stance against delaying the process due to Christine Blasey Ford's allegations of sexual assault. After Ford's testimony, Graham doubted her recollection that Kavanaugh assaulted her.
2018: Graham said Roe v. Wade is precedent that should not be overturned without good reason.
In 2018, Lindsey Graham was anti-abortion, but said that Roe v. Wade is precedent that should not be overturned without good reason.
May 14, 2019: Graham encourages Donald Trump Jr. to ignore subpoena
On May 14, 2019, Lindsey Graham faced scrutiny for encouraging Donald Trump Jr. to ignore a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee, which drew criticism from Senator Joe Manchin.
May 2019: Called for military invasion of Venezuela
In May 2019, Lindsey Graham called for a military invasion of Venezuela to overthrow Nicolás Maduro amid the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis.
May 2019: Graham proposed new immigration laws.
In May 2019, Lindsey Graham proposed instituting new immigration laws that would only allow migrants to apply for asylum from their home country or Mexico, smooth the process to deport unaccompanied children to Central America, and extend the period by which migrant children could be detained from 20 days to 100 days.
July 2019: Graham defends Trump against racism allegations
In July 2019, Lindsey Graham stated that he did not believe Donald Trump was racist and defended Trump's statements regarding Democratic congresswomen, asserting that they were not racist.
July 2019: Graham visited a migrant detention center in Texas.
In July 2019, Lindsey Graham visited a migrant detention center in Texas and reacted that it was not a concentration camp but a facility overwhelmed, and said he did not care if the migrants had to stay in these facilities for 400 days because they were dangerous.
November 2019: Blocks Senate resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide
In November 2019, Lindsey Graham initially blocked a Senate resolution aimed at officially recognizing the Armenian genocide.
December 2019: Graham states he has made up his mind regarding Trump's impeachment
In December 2019, as articles of impeachment against Donald Trump moved to a vote, Lindsey Graham stated he had already made up his mind and would do everything to ensure the impeachment would "die quickly" in the Senate, expressing disdain for the accusations and the process. Graham stated that he didn't need any witnesses for the Senate trial.
May 2020: Graham stated Senate would confirm a Supreme Court nominee before the November election
In May 2020, Lindsey Graham said the Senate would work to confirm a Supreme Court nominee if a vacancy arose before the November election, differentiating it from the Merrick Garland situation.
August 2020: Graham said the rules changed after Kavanaugh's confirmation
In August 2020, Lindsey Graham stated that after Kavanaugh's confirmation, the rules have changed as far as he's concerned.
September 2020: Graham supported immediate Senate vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee
In September 2020, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lindsey Graham expressed support for the Senate immediately voting on Trump's nominee, reversing his earlier stance.
2020: Graham discusses Georgia's vote counting with Secretary of State
During the 2020 United States presidential election recount in Georgia, Lindsey Graham privately called Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, to discuss vote counting and questioned the possibility of disqualifying mail-in ballots with signature errors. Raffensperger viewed this as a suggestion to discard legally cast ballots, which Graham denied.
2020: Graham urges Trump not to concede and donates to election lawsuits
Following the projection that Joe Biden won the 2020 United States presidential election, Lindsey Graham urged Donald Trump not to concede, donated $500,000 to Trump's election lawsuits, and suggested Republican state legislators invalidate election results, appointing presidential electors who would vote for Trump.
2020: Graham declined to sign an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe.
In 2020, Lindsey Graham was one of 13 Republican senators who declined to sign an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
2020: Graham calls for investigation into voting irregularities based on postal worker's affidavit
In 2020, after receiving an affidavit from a Pennsylvania postal worker, Richard Hopkins, alleging backdating of mail ballots, Lindsey Graham called for investigations into voting irregularities. However, Hopkins later stated that Project Veritas wrote the affidavit for him.
2020: Trump regrets endorsing Graham's Senate campaign
In April 2024, Trump expressed regret for endorsing Graham in his 2020 Senate campaign, after Graham criticized Trump for not supporting a federal abortion ban.
January 6, 2021: Graham disagrees with election denial after Capitol attack
On January 6, 2021, after the attack on the United States Capitol, Lindsey Graham, along with other members of Congress, was evacuated. Upon reconvening, Graham disagreed with his Republican colleagues and acknowledged that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were lawfully elected.
February 2021: Investigation into Graham's call to Georgia Secretary of State
In February 2021, The Washington Post reported that Fani Willis, the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney, was examining Lindsey Graham's phone call to Brad Raffensperger as part of a criminal investigation into possible efforts to illegally overturn Georgia's election results in 2020.
May 28, 2021: Graham votes against creating January 6 commission
On May 28, 2021, Lindsey Graham voted against creating the January 6 commission.
July 8, 2021: Called Biden's decision a disaster in the making
On July 8, 2021, Lindsey Graham called Joe Biden's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan a "disaster in the making", predicting it would endanger the U.S. and could lead to "another 9/11".
August 2021: Report on Graham's call with Biden after the election
In August 2021, The New York Times reported that Lindsey Graham called Joe Biden after the election to revive their friendship and claimed that his call for a special counsel investigation of Biden's son, Hunter, during the campaign was only to appease Trump supporters. A Graham spokesman disputed the Times's account.
March 3, 2022: Suggested assassinating Vladimir Putin
On March 3, 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lindsey Graham tweeted suggesting that someone in Russia should assassinate Vladimir Putin, drawing backlash from other American politicians.
May 2022: Graham advocated that the Supreme Court overturn Roe.
In May 2022, Lindsey Graham advocated that the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade to ensure that every state will decide if abortion is legal and on what terms.
June 2022: Graham asserted that all conservatives believed the Constitution does not give the federal government the right to regulate abortion.
In June 2022, Lindsey Graham asserted that all conservatives "believed that there's nothing in the Constitution giving the federal government the right to regulate abortion".
August 2022: Graham said that "states should decide the issue of abortion".
In August 2022, Lindsey Graham said that states should decide the issue of abortion and that he had been consistent on this.
August 2022: Stated states should decide the issue of marriage
In August 2022, after the House approved a bill to recognize same-sex marriages, Lindsey Graham stated that individual states should decide the issue of marriage and opposed the federal government taking over defining marriage.
September 2022: Graham introduced legislation to institute a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
In September 2022 Lindsey Graham introduced legislation to institute a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the patient, stating that this is a human right issue and advocating a national minimum standard.
2022: Reiterated support of the Defense of Marriage Act
In 2022, Lindsey Graham reiterated his support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and enacted non-recognition of same-sex marriages at the federal level.
May 26, 2023: Remarks in an edited video released by the Office of the President of Ukraine
On May 26, 2023, the Office of the President of Ukraine released an edited video showing Lindsey Graham remarking that "the Russians are dying" and that American military assistance to Ukraine was the "best money we've ever spent", which drew criticism. The unedited version later clarified that the remarks were unrelated.
May 29, 2023: Russian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Graham
On May 29, 2023, the Russian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Lindsey Graham for his comments about the war. In response, Graham tweeted that he would "wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin's corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor" and would submit to the ICC if Russia attempted to serve the warrant.
October 10, 2023: Expressed support for Israel during the Gaza war
On October 10, 2023, Lindsey Graham tweeted his support for Israel during the Gaza war, calling the conflict a "religious war" and suggesting Gaza should be "flattened".
February 13, 2024: Voted against the Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan appropriations bill
On February 13, 2024, Lindsey Graham voted against the Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan appropriations bill due to the inclusion of border control efforts. He later joined 79 colleagues in passing the appropriations when they were packaged as one bill in April.
March 9, 2024: Stated Palestinian children are taught to kill all the Jews
On March 9, 2024, Lindsey Graham stated that "For decades now, Palestinian children have been taught through UNRWA and other agencies to kill all the Jews" and advocated for dismantling the Palestinian school system.
April 2024: Graham criticizes Trump for lack of support for abortion ban
In April 2024, Lindsey Graham criticized Donald Trump for not supporting a federal abortion ban, leading Trump to express regret for endorsing Graham in his 2020 Senate campaign.
May 8, 2024: Warned against halting arms supply to Israel during the Gaza war
On May 8, 2024, Lindsey Graham warned the Pentagon against halting arms supply to Israel during the Gaza war, stating, "Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can't afford to lose. This is Hiroshima and Nagasaki on steroids." This statement caused a debate in the Japanese National Diet.
January 2025: Graham disagrees with Trump's actions as president
In January 2025, Lindsey Graham disagreed with several of Donald Trump's initial actions as president, including pardoning January 6 defendants, removing security details for former officials, and the manner of firing Inspectors General.
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