Major Controversies Surrounding Lindsey Graham: A Detailed Timeline

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

Lindsey Graham is a prominent American politician and attorney currently serving as the senior United States Senator from South Carolina since 2003. As a member of the Republican Party, he held the influential position of Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2019 to 2021, marking a significant period in his senatorial career. His long tenure and chairmanship underscore his established presence and influence within the American political landscape.

Sections (5)

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

November 1997: Co-sponsored Resolution to Impeach Bill Clinton

In November 1997, Lindsey Graham co-sponsored a resolution by Bob Barr that sought to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Bill Clinton.

October 8, 1998: Voted in Favor of Impeachment Inquiry

On October 8, 1998, Lindsey Graham voted in favor of legislation to open an impeachment inquiry against President Bill Clinton.

1998: Controversy Over Military Record

In 1998, The Hill newspaper contended that Lindsey Graham was describing himself on his website as an Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran, which he denied.

1998: Graham's statements during Clinton's impeachment

In December 2019, Graham's response to Trump's impeachment was contrasted with statements Graham made during Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment, including his citation of Richard Nixon regarding ignoring a subpoena.

2002: Vote for the Iraq Resolution

In 2002, Lindsey Graham voted for the Iraq Resolution, which authorized military action against Iraq, demonstrating his support for interventionist foreign policy.

June 2004: Response to Supreme Court Decision on Detainee Rights

In June 2004, in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing detainees to file habeas corpus petitions, Lindsey Graham authored an amendment to a Department of Defense Authorization Act.

November 2005: Amendment to Defense Authorization Act

In November 2005, Lindsey Graham's amendment to a Department of Defense Authorization Act passed in the Senate by a vote of 49-42. The amendment attempted to clarify the authority of American courts regarding detainees but was opposed by human rights groups and legal scholars.

2006: Support for Constitutional Amendment Opposing Same-Sex Marriage

In 2006, Lindsey Graham voted in support of a constitutional amendment opposing marriage between same-sex couples, advocating for the traditional definition of marriage and aiming to prevent judges from establishing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

May 2009: Comments on Domestic Internment

In a May 2009 CNN interview, Lindsey Graham cited 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: Comments on Global Warming Science and Climate Bill

In June 2010, Lindsey Graham stated that the science about global warming had changed, expressing skepticism and announcing his intention to vote against the climate bill he had initially co-sponsored, citing concerns about offshore drilling restrictions.

July 2010: Suggestion to Amend 14th Amendment

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

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

On November 6, 2010, Lindsey Graham called for a preemptive military strike to weaken the Iranian regime.

April 3, 2011: Comments on Limiting Freedom of Speech

On April 3, 2011, during an appearance on Face the Nation, Lindsey Graham suggested Congress might need to limit some forms of freedom of speech in light of an attack on United Nations personnel triggered by the Koran-burning by Florida preacher Terry Jones.

2013: Support for NSA Phone Record Collection

In 2013, in response to the disclosures about the United States National Security Agency and its global surveillance, Lindsey Graham said he was "glad" the NSA was collecting phone records.

June 17, 2015: Graham responds to Charleston church shooting

After the mass shooting at a historic African American church in Charleston on June 17, 2015, Lindsey Graham suspended campaign events to return to South Carolina. He addressed the debate over the Confederate flag at the State Capitol grounds, saying it was time for South Carolinians to revisit that decision, acknowledging the flag's complex symbolism.

July 2015: Called Trump a 'Jackass'

In July 2015, Lindsey Graham called Donald Trump a "jackass" for his comments about John McCain. Trump then called Graham an "idiot" and revealed Graham's cellphone number at a campaign rally.

December 2015: Graham's Response to Trump's Proposed Muslim Ban

In December 2015, Lindsey Graham responded to Donald Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States by criticizing Trump as a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot."

February 2016: Graham calls Trump 'a kook'

In February 2016, Lindsey Graham referred to Donald Trump as a "kook" and "crazy", deeming him unfit for office.

May 2016: Tweet About Nominating Trump

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

June 2016: Comments on Trump's Criticism of Judge

In June 2016, after Donald Trump criticized a judge of Mexican heritage, Lindsey Graham stated to CNN that Trump was "playing the race card" and that people needed to reconsider the future of the Republican party if he continued this line of attack.

2016: Graham received campaign money from Thornton Law Firm

In 2016, The Boston Globe reported that Graham was "the only Republican recipient of money from a major Democratic donor now facing scrutiny for some questionable campaign donation habits". Graham received $62,800 in campaign contributions from the Thornton Law Firm's partners.

2016: Boycott of Obama's Supreme Court Nomination

In 2016, after the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Republican senators boycotted Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland. Graham stated that Supreme Court vacancies should never be filled in a presidential election year, setting a precedent.

2016: Critic of Donald Trump

Throughout 2016, Lindsey Graham was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy.

November 2017: Criticism of media reporting on Trump

In November 2017, Lindsey Graham voiced criticism of the media's coverage of Donald Trump, stating concerns about the press's attempts to portray Trump as unfit for the presidency.

January 2018: Graham recommends charges against Christopher Steele

In January 2018, Lindsey Graham, along with Chuck Grassley, recommended charges against ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele, the author of the Steele dossier, for allegedly lying to federal authorities. This was the first known congressional criminal referral in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

August 2018: Graham Denies Hearing Trump Make Racist Statements

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: Supreme Court Vacancy Comments

In an October 2018 interview, Lindsey Graham stated that if a Supreme Court opening occurred in the last year of President Trump's term and the primary process had started, they would wait until the next election to fill it.

2018: Response to Christine Blasey Ford's allegations

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

May 14, 2019: Scrutiny for Encouraging Donald Trump Jr. to Ignore Subpoena

On May 14, 2019, Lindsey Graham faced scrutiny, including from Senator Joe Manchin, after he encouraged Donald Trump Jr. to disregard a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee.

July 2019: Graham Defends Trump Against Racism Accusations

In July 2019, Lindsey Graham stated that he did not believe Donald Trump was racist and defended Trump's statements regarding Democratic congresswomen as not racist, arguing that a Somali refugee embracing Trump would not be asked to go back.

October 8, 2019: Graham Condemns Trump's Syria Troop Withdrawal

On October 8, 2019, Lindsey Graham condemned Donald Trump's announcement of withdrawing U.S. troops from northern Syria during an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios, stating that it risked the nation and Trump's presidency and lacked support from national security advisers.

November 2019: Graham blocks Senate resolution on Armenian genocide

In November 2019, Lindsey Graham blocked a Senate resolution aimed at officially recognizing the Armenian genocide.

December 2019: Graham Signals Impartiality in Trump Impeachment Trial

In December 2019, as impeachment articles against Trump moved to a vote, Lindsey Graham signaled his decision was made and would do everything to make the trial die quickly, expressing disdain for the accusations and process, and stating he didn't need any witnesses for the Senate trial.

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 supported the Senate immediately voting on President Trump's nominee to succeed her, which was seen as a reversal of his previous stance.

2020: Graham questions election results

After major news networks projected Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 United States presidential election, Lindsey Graham stated that Donald Trump "should not concede". He stated Republicans should challenge the election system, donated $500,000 to Trump's election lawsuits, and said invalidating election results should be "on the table."

2020: Graham's Call to Raffensperger Regarding Georgia's Vote Counting

During the 2020 recount in Georgia, Lindsey Graham called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to discuss the vote counting, asking about disqualifying mail-in ballots in counties with signature errors. Raffensperger viewed the question as a suggestion to throw out legally cast ballots, a claim Graham denied.

2020: Graham Addresses Allegations of Voting Irregularities

In 2020, after receiving an affidavit by Pennsylvania postal worker Richard Hopkins alleging mail ballot backdating, Lindsey Graham stated that credible allegations of voting irregularities should be investigated. The affidavit was released by Project Veritas, later revealed to have been written by Project Veritas.

2020: Trump regrets endorsing Graham

In April 2024, in response to Graham's criticism, Trump expressed regret for endorsing Graham in his 2020 Senate campaign.

January 6, 2021: Graham Disagrees with Election Result Denials

On January 6, 2021, after the attack on the United States Capitol, Lindsey Graham stated that it was a "uniquely bad idea to delay this election" and that "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are lawfully elected", disagreeing with his Republican colleagues' denial of the election results.

February 2021: Criminal Investigation into Graham's Call to Raffensperger

In February 2021, The Washington Post reported that Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis 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.

May 28, 2021: Vote Against January 6 Commission

On May 28, 2021, Lindsey Graham voted against creating the January 6 commission.

July 8, 2021: Criticism of Biden's Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal Decision

On July 8, 2021, Lindsey Graham criticized President Biden's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, calling it a "disaster in the making" and predicting dangerous consequences.

August 2021: Reported Call to Biden After Election

In August 2021, The New York Times reported that Lindsey Graham called Joe Biden days after the election in an effort to revive their friendship and said he called for a special counsel investigation of Biden's son to appease Trump supporters. A Graham spokesman disputed the Times's account.

March 3, 2022: Tweet Suggesting Assassination of Vladimir Putin

On March 3, 2022, Lindsey Graham tweeted a suggestion that someone in Russia should assassinate Vladimir Putin, which drew backlash and condemnation.

May 26, 2023: Controversy Over Edited Video Remarks on Ukraine War

On May 26, 2023, Lindsey Graham faced criticism after an edited video released by the Office of the President of Ukraine appeared to link his remarks about Russians dying with the American military assistance to Ukraine. The unedited version later clarified the remarks were unrelated.

May 29, 2023: Issuance of Arrest Warrant by Russian Interior Ministry

On May 29, 2023, the Russian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Lindsey Graham due to his comments about the war. Graham responded that he would wear the warrant as a "Badge of Honor" and submit to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court should Russia attempt to serve it.

October 10, 2023: Statement of Support for Israel During Gaza War

On October 10, 2023, Lindsey Graham tweeted that he "unapologetically stand[s] with Israel" during the Gaza war, calling the conflict a "religious war" and suggesting Gaza should be "flattened".

October 31, 2023: Graham's Stance on Civilian Casualties in Gaza

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

March 9, 2024: Call to dismantle the Palestinian school system

On March 9, 2024, Lindsey Graham stated that Palestinian children have been taught to kill all the Jews and that the Palestinian school system needs to be dismantled.

April 2024: Graham Criticizes Trump on Abortion Ban

In April 2024, Lindsey Graham criticized Donald Trump for not supporting a federal abortion ban.

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, comparing the conflict to "Hiroshima and Nagasaki on steroids," which caused a debate in the Japanese National Diet.

May 2024: Graham on Accepting Election Results

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

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

In September 2024, Lindsey Graham visited Nebraska, lobbying Governor Jim Pillen to call a special legislative session to adopt a winner-take-all system for Electoral College votes to prevent Kamala Harris from receiving the state's one Electoral College vote. The move ultimately failed.

October 2024: Graham Criticizes Harris's Supporters

In October 2024, Lindsey Graham said Republican voters supporting Kamala Harris were supporting the most radical nominee in American history, arguing that the Biden-Harris immigration policy posed a larger danger than Trump's rhetoric.

January 2025: Graham Criticizes Trump's Actions as President

In January 2025, Lindsey Graham took issue with several of Donald Trump's first actions as president, including pardoning January 6 attackers, removing security details for John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, and firing Inspectors General without proper notice.

June 1, 2025: Tweet Regarding Greta Thunberg's Trip to Gaza

On June 1, 2025, Lindsey Graham tweeted in response to Greta Thunberg's trip to Gaza, "Hope Greta and her friends can swim!"

August 2025: Claim on Trump Administration's Tariffs and Criticism by Jeffrey Sachs

In August 2025, Lindsey Graham claimed the Trump administration's tariffs on Indian imports of Russian oil played a key role in bringing Putin to the negotiating table, while economist Jeffrey Sachs sharply criticized Graham, calling him "the worst senator in the U.S." and a "fool", arguing that the tariffs had the opposite effect.

August 2025: Remarks on America and Israel

In August 2025, Lindsey Graham said "if America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us" at a South Carolina Republican Party meeting.

2025: Loomer testifies Graham is gay

During a 2025 deposition, Laura Loomer testified under oath that Lindsey Graham is gay, claiming that members of President Trump's staff had told her this in confidence.