Former MSNBC host Joy Reid recently criticized the legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, describing him as a representative of "actual evil" on her web show. Graham, a prominent Republican figure for decades, died Saturday at the age of 71.
Reid, speaking on her web show, remarked that "hell opened its doors for at least one more," referencing the Republican Party's Senate caucus following Graham's death. Her comments followed a monologue where she decried the "mainstream media" for what she perceived as insufficient condemnation of Graham's foreign policy stances, particularly his support for Israel and advocacy for U.S. military action against Iran.
"We need to know when bad people pass," Reid stated, drawing a parallel to the public reaction to the death of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. She argued for honesty regarding the individuals being remembered, asserting that Graham "chose to be a flunky for autocracy and fascism." Reid characterized his actions as aligning with "Trumpism, war-mongering, and I would argue wickedness and actual evil, the killing of people around the world."
Reid also touched upon the recent hospitalization of Senator Mitch McConnell, admitting that Graham was not the Republican she had anticipated hearing news of passing. McConnell's office had released a statement and photo following a fall that led to him being briefly unconscious.
The former host condemned Graham's questioning of Ketanji Brown Jackson during her 2022 Supreme Court confirmation hearing, describing the senator's approach as "sneering" and "racist." She also recalled Graham's silence when former President Donald Trump criticized his late ally, Senator John McCain, during a 2015 campaign event for remarks about being captured in Vietnam.
"Lindsey Graham was a knowing, willful, deliberate, heinous criminal," Reid declared. "You sold your soul to the devil, and now you get to meet him in person." She added that she would not be influenced by the "corporate media" to offer a more favorable assessment.
Reid's tenure at MSNBC reportedly ended after the network began planning her departure in late 2023. Sources suggested that her controversial social media posts, including comments about Latino Republicans and the media's focus on the Ukraine invasion, caused issues for the network's standards department. MSNBC reportedly offered her a contract extension with reduced pay, hoping she would resign. Her viewership had reportedly declined from a high of 3 million in 2020 to 1.1 million viewers per episode. Reid has since launched a presence on Substack and YouTube.
Senator Graham's death was attributed to a tear in his aorta, according to preliminary findings released by the District of Columbia medical examiner. He served for over 30 years as a congressman and senator, often taking a hawkish stance on foreign policy and maintaining strong support for Israel. In March, he was quoted as saying that Cuba would be the next target after initial U.S. strikes on Iran.