Lindsey Graham proved principle, bipartisanship can coexist | Opinion
No one gets to choose the exact moment they breathe their last, but some die doing what they love, filled with purpose and zeal.
From what we know so far, Sen. Lindsey Graham did just that. The South Carolina Republican, who served in the Senate since 2003, died late July 11. Graham's office said preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia showed he died of an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Hours before Graham died, he was still working. President Donald Trump told NBC News' "Meet the Press" on July 12 that the two had spoken about passing the SAVE America Act.
"He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, ‘Well, we're going to get it done, Lindsey. We're going to get it done. I'll see you, like, soon,'" Trump said.
Graham's final hours reflected the qualities that defined his political career. With a sense of humor and obvious charisma, he befriended and disarmed Democrats without compromising his conservative convictions. He was hawkish on foreign policy, committed to a strong national defense and willing to work across the aisle to get things done.
Lindsey Graham was a true bipartisan legislator
One of Graham's greatest strengths was his ability to remain a strong, hawkish conservative while working with Democrats to accomplish shared goals, a skill few politicians in either party possess today.
In a post on X, Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, recalled working with Graham on criminal justice reform. "Thanks to him and Dick Durbin and some other Senate heroes, our bill became the First Step Act after years, two presidents, two Congresses and became law," Booker said.
Booker also recalled how formidable Graham could be when he wanted to get something done.
"One of the White House negotiators, during that first negotiation, told me that Lindsey Graham was like an unguided missile," Booker said. "God, you never knew which way he was going to go, whether he would come back and hit you. But when he was aligned, when he would be in the right place at the right time, that he could get things done that other people couldn't and bring a lot of light and new possibilities to the efforts."
Graham, along with the late Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, and John McCain, R-Arizona, was part of the group famously dubbed the "Three Amigos." The trio traveled the world together and crossed party lines to work on national security issues. Graham developed a reputation as a war hawk and neoconservative who favored a strong national defense and an interventionist foreign policy.
Graham was a principled Republican when it mattered most
For all his humor and friendships across the aisle, Graham was willing to stand on principle when he believed it mattered. I will never forget how he stepped up during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court in 2018.
Kavanaugh had a long legal career and a strong professional reputation. During the confirmation process, Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers in the 1980s. The allegation was not supported by contemporaneous evidence, and it seemed to me that the process had become more about destroying Kavanaugh's reputation than determining what had actually happened.
The Southern gentleman known for his humor and bipartisanship erupted, condemning the confirmation process and his Democratic colleagues.
"If you wanted an FBI investigation, you could have come to us," Graham said. "What you want to do is destroy this guy's life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020. You've said that, not me. You've got nothing to apologize for. When you see Sotomayor and Kagan, tell them that Lindsey said hello because I voted for them. I would never do to them what you've done to this guy."
Graham continued his rebuke. "God, I hate to say it because these have been my friends," he said. "But let me tell you, when it comes to this, you're looking for a fair process? You came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend."
In an era when both parties struggle to work across the aisle without abandoning their convictions, Graham showed that the two were not mutually exclusive. He built friendships with political opponents, worked with them when he could and fought them when he believed principle demanded it.
In his final hours, Graham was still doing what he had done throughout his career: working and trying to get something done. It was a fitting end to a life in politics defined by purpose and zeal.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lindsey Graham proved principle, bipartisanship can coexist | Opinion
Reporting by Nicole Russell, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM.