Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville stated that the late Senator Lindsey Graham's political career was largely defined by "duplicity." Graham, 71, died Saturday night from an aortic dissection. The news of his death surprised many in Washington, as he was an active member of the Senate and had been scheduled to appear on "Meet the Press" the following morning.
Carville acknowledged that Graham could be personable but maintained his overall assessment of his career. "I don't think the man has had a... sorry, I don't want anybody to get sick or die, that's not it. But I think his political career is mostly defined by duplicity. Just my own view," Carville said.
Graham served in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He was a key figure in the impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and served until his death, having been elected to four terms and seeking a fifth in 2026.
Al Hunt, a co-host, described Graham as a "character" and noted that when he first met him in 1994, Graham seemed different from other Southern Republicans at the time. Hunt recalled Graham as a close ally of Senator John McCain and mentioned that Graham was witty and humorous. However, Hunt also observed that Graham aligned himself with Donald Trump as McCain was nearing the end of his life.
"Then as McCain was dying, he turned to a new leader, a new guru because he always wanted to be a player, and that was Donald Trump," Hunt said. "And I think his influence was exaggerated, but he was a very constructive force on Ukraine and a very, very bad influence on the war in Iran and actually on his policy towards Israel." Hunt concluded, "I just think Lindsey Graham was a force in American politics for 30-some years and, like most people, if you get too close to Trump, you get soiled."