On the record · Updated October 1, 2026
senator
50 things Lindsey Graham said, verbatim, from June 10, 2026 to August 1, 2026, each linked to where it ran. Grouped by the story each one belongs to.
Also appeared as: Sen. Lindsey Graham
More on the record
As printed
“Graham had spent weeks arguing that war with Iran was not only justified but necessary, shuttling between Israel and the White House to help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government press its argument for war,”
The American Conservative Washington’s Unseemly Celebration of Lindsey Graham ›
As printed
“Get the Arabs more openly involved tomorrow, and then have almost irreversible momentum.”
As printed
“No drama. He’s been a great wartime president. I said last night that Trump and Bibi are like Roosevelt and Churchill.”
As printed
“In three to four weeks, we should have them in a spot where they start losing control of some cities … get the Arabs more openly involved tomorrow, or by the end of the week, and then have almost irreversible momentum,”
on the campaign for war with Iran, from unreleased documentary footage
CNN Graham called yearslong push for war with Iran ‘the best thing I’ve ever done’ in new footage ›
As printed
“In three to four weeks, we’re going to have them in a spot where they start losing control of some cities,”
on the campaign for war with Iran, from unreleased documentary footage
Antiwar.com ‘I Almost Cried’: Unreleased Documentary Footage Shows Lindsey Graham Celebrating Start of Iran War ›
As printed
“Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they can’t afford to lose.”
As printed
“If the radical cleric in Iran had a nuclear weapon, he would use it just as certainly as Hitler were to use it. He would kill all the Jews, and we’re next,”
As printed
“flatten the place”
The Forward Lindsey Graham, pro-Israel Trump confidant in the Senate, dies suddenly at 71 ›
As printed
“The billions in taxpayer dollars that would be saved by expediting the termination of military aid to Israel will and should be plowed back into the US military, which is the best in the world and in great demand,”
News From Antiwar.com Israel’s Netanyahu Recounts His ‘Last Conversation’ With Sen. Lindsey Graham ›
As printed
“The money Iran gets is not going to change the future of Iran,”
on Iran and money it receives, likely from sanctions relief
As printed
“If Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, we will obliterate them,”
As printed
“The United States will control the Strait of Hormuz, we'll charge a fee for all those who go through to pay for the operation, and we're going to expand the Abraham Accords in calendar year 2026,”
Politics - CBSNews.com Sen. Lindsey Graham: "Let's try a diplomatic solution. I think it's going to fail." ›
As printed
“We’re off to a good start — opening up the strait, having a framework,”
As printed
“I don't think the MOU is a deal, it's a framework of how to get a deal,”
As printed
“If we can pull this off as described by the Trump administration, it’d be a good deal. The only question I have is, will Iran actually go there? But time will tell.”
on doubts whether Iran will follow through on the nuclear deal
As printed
“After this discussion, it is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, in as much as the Strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and the hostilities with Iran will stop.”
on Graham and Rand Paul backing Trump's Iran deal MOU
Breitbart News Republicans Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul Rally Behind Trump's Iran Deal ›
As printed
“The way Iran describes it, it’s awful. The way we describe it, it makes sense to me,”
As printed
“I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters,”
on upcoming negotiations over Iran's nuclear program
As printed
“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,”
Associated Press Iran and US reach a tentative deal to end war as Israel rules out withdrawing from seized land ›
As printed
“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming. Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote.”
CBN News feeds Major Question in Jerusalem, Tehran: Where Does Trump's Iran Agreement Leave Israel, Iranian Dissidents? ›
As printed
“He never had any illusions about who we were dealing with — with Vladimir Putin,”
As printed
“I believe that it would be a huge mistake for America not to cooperate with Ukraine in the field of drones. They are ready to help us because we were ready to support Ukraine in the hardest times,”
on US cooperation with Ukraine on drone technology
As printed
“Enough of Russian aggression. It is time for them to pay a heavier price.”
on escalating consequences for Russian aggression in Ukraine
News From Antiwar.com Sen. Graham Met Zelensky, Visited Ukrainian Drone Factory, Before Death ›
As printed
“best money we ever spent.”
on US military aid funding Ukraine's war against Russia
News From Antiwar.com Sen. Graham Met Zelensky, Visited Ukrainian Drone Factory, Before Death ›
As printed
“Let's try a diplomatic solution. I think it's going to fail. What happens next?”
As printed
“before, I thought the money was coming from the West.”
As printed
“as the legitimate government representatives of Afghanistan”
As printed
“Given what the Prime Minister said, we need not wait 10 years,”
As printed
“We decided to end the war by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons, and that was the right decision,”
As printed
“Why is it OK for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war? Why was it OK for us to do that?”
As printed
“Today, I visited a state-of-the-art enterprise that has huge capacities and produces technologies far more advanced than anyone on the planet. After all, necessity is the ‘mother’ of all inventions,”
As printed
“I can't die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out, and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,”
Reason.com Last of the Neocon 'Three Amigos': Lindsey Graham Dies Unexpectedly ›
As printed
“They’ll tell me things our own government won’t tell me”
on Israeli officials sharing classified information his government won't
The Forward Lindsey Graham, pro-Israel Trump confidant in the Senate, dies suddenly at 71 ›
As printed
“strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe,”
on Lindsey Graham's record as a foreign policy advocate, recalled after his death
NBC News Politics Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after ‘brief and sudden illness’ ›
As printed
“The Iraqi response of, ‘We have no weapons of mass destruction,’ is a flat-out lie. I hope the world will get behind President Bush in making sure this man cannot continue his weapons program. He either needs to be disarmed or replaced.”
on Iraq's alleged weapons programs and justifying invasion
US politics | The Guardian Lindsey Graham tributes from Israel and Ukraine point to complicated, often bloody legacy ›
As printed
“We're playing with fire here, no matter what side does it,”
on risks from ODNI staff firings and reassignments under Pulte
Politics - CBSNews.com ODNI under Pulte fires 6 staff, sends 45 back to home agencies ›
As printed
“They will, Mark Warner told me that there are enough votes to get FISA reauthorized, and I would urge President Trump to let Clayton testify,”
As printed
“that any Democrat that shuts down FISA at a time of great peril for the United States is making a huge mistake — the same would be true of the Trump administration.”
on the risk of letting FISA surveillance authority lapse amid national security threats
Politics - CBSNews.com Rep. Jason Crow says he's worried "Americans are at risk" with Pulte as acting DNI ›
As printed
“Despite Democrat efforts to shut down ICE and Border Patrol, Republicans have now fully funded these agencies through President Trump’s entire second term to the tune of nearly $70 billion.”
Breitbart News House Republicans Pass $70B Bill to Fund ICE, Border Patrol Until 2029 ›
As printed
“We're going to get liquored up and solve problems.”
on his 2015 pitch for bipartisan problem-solving through informal dealmaking
BBC News Anthony Zurcher: From Trump critic to ally, Lindsey Graham was a political survivor of the Maga era ›
As printed
“All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”
on breaking with Trump following the January 6 Capitol attack
BBC News Anthony Zurcher: From Trump critic to ally, Lindsey Graham was a political survivor of the Maga era ›
As printed
“Shut up. You don't get a lawyer. You are an enemy combatant.”
on denying legal counsel to Americans deemed enemy combatants
Reason.com Last of the Neocon 'Three Amigos': Lindsey Graham Dies Unexpectedly ›
As printed
“To those people who think Obama’s a Muslim who was born in Kenya, I lost you a long time ago.”
on rejecting birther conspiracy theories about Obama's legitimacy
TheGrio Lindsey Graham, longtime U.S. Senator who denied existence of systemic racism, dies at 71 ›
As printed
“This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap. Your high school yearbook — you have interacted with professional women all your life, not one accusation,”
As printed
“To the extent that it matters, I’m not gay,”
on his sexual orientation amid years of persistent speculation
Advocate.com Lindsey Graham, Trump ally who opposed LGBTQ+ rights and consistently denied being gay, dies at 71 ›
As printed
“I am a proud defender of traditional marriage,”
on traditional marriage defense against Supreme Court equality ruling
Advocate.com Lindsey Graham, Trump ally who opposed LGBTQ+ rights and consistently denied being gay, dies at 71 ›
As printed
“We don’t need to be reading memos in the paper about 20 percent cut at the VA,”
on frustration over reports of a 20 percent staffing cut at the VA
Politico VA secretary’s role in failed vets bill stokes new round of White House, GOP frustration ›
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