By admin 
U.S Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Seneca Republican who died July 11 from a tear in his aorta, started his political career as a state representative. He eventually was elected to the U.S. House and then to the U.S. Senate. During his career, the lifelong bachelor became a hawk on foreign policy issues. In his final years he also became a close ally of President Donald Trump.
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Here is a timeline of Graham’s career in public service.
1977 – Graham graduates from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree.
1981 – Graham graduates from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
1982-1988 – Graham in the Air Force. From 1984 through 1988, he was assigned overseas and served at Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Germany. In total, he served 6.5 years of active duty as an Air Force lawyer.
1989 – Graham joins the South Carolina Air National Guard. During the Gulf War, Graham was called to active duty to McEntire Air National Guard Base where he worked as a staff judge advocate to prepare members for deployment to the Gulf region.
1992 – Graham elected to the South Carolina State House of Representatives.
1994 – Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as the first Republican to represent the 3rd Congressional District since 1877.
1995 – Graham joins the U.S. Air Force Reserves. While in the reserves, he had short-term reserve duties in Iraq and Afghanistan during congressional breaks and holidays. In 2015, he retired from the Air Force Reserves at the rank of colonel.
1998 – Graham while serving on the House Judiciary Committee played a key role in setting up the impeachment of President Bill Clinton over his affair with Monica Lewinsky and accusations he obstructed justice and committed perjury.
“Today, Republicans, with a small handful of Democrats, will vote to impeach President Clinton. Why? Because we believe he committed crimes resulting in cheating our legal system,” Graham said. “We believe he lied under oath numerous times, that he tampered with evidence, that he conspired to present false testimony to a court of law. We believe he assaulted our legal system in every way. Let it be said that any President who cheats our institutions shall be impeached.”
1999 – Graham serves as a House manager during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.
“Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office,” Graham said during the impeachment trial. “Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.”
2000 – Graham helps U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.
2002 – Graham elected to the U.S. Senate to succeed Strom Thurmond. Graham defeats Democrat Alex Sanders in the election.
2003 – When Graham joins the Senate he starts a friendship with U.S. Sen. Joe Leiberman, a Democrat turned Independent. Graham, Lieberman and McCain for a trio called the “Three Amigos.”
The three of them traveled together overseas and held hawkish views when it came to foreign policy.
2008 – Graham re-elected to the U.S. Senate over Democrat Bob Conley. Graham also campaigns with Lieberman in support of McCain’s campaign for president.
2013 – Graham works as a member of the gang of eight on an immigration reform bill.
2014 – Graham re-elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate over Democratic state Sen. Brad Hutto.
June 2015 – Graham launches a run for president in a large Republican field that includes Donald Trump. During the campaign, Trump and Graham do not get along.
In December 2015 in response to Trump’s call for a Muslim ban, Graham called Trump “a race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot,” who didn’t represent the values of the GOP and people in the military. In the CNN interview, Graham also said, “you know how to make America great again, you tell Donald Trump to go to hell.”
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Graham dropped out of the race shortly thereafter.
2016 – Graham, who was a member of the Senate judiciary committee helps block the nomination of Merrick Garland to the U.S. Court because it was the last year of President Barack Obama’s term. He said a vacancy in the court should be filled by the next president.
“I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.,” Graham said. “And you could use my words against me and you’d be absolutely right.”
March 2017 – After Trump’s election to the White House, Graham and the president had lunch and began to repair their relationship. Graham and Trump later began to play golf together regularly. This allowed Graham to gain the ear of the president and become one his staunchest allies.
September 2018 – Graham passionately defends Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court amid accusations of sexual abuse and assault against the now justice.
“You got nothing to apologize for,” Graham said during the fiery remarks. “When you see (Sonia) Sotomayor and (Elana) Kagan, say hello because I voted for them. I’d never do to them what you’ve done to this guy. This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics and if you really wanted the truth, you sure as hell wouldn’t have done what you’ve done to this guy.”
October 2020 – Graham, as Judiciary Committee chairman, shepherded the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, in the last year of President Trump’s first term.
Nov. 2020 – Graham defeats Democrat Jaime Harrison to win a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. The race at the time was the most expensive U.S. Senate race in history with more than $200 million spent by the two campaigns. Much of the spending is fueled by people impressed with Graham’s work as Judiciary chairman. Or people who don’t like him across the country.
Graham, in his role as Judiciary chairman, calls Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, about the state’s vote count in the 2020 presidential election. Graham would later be subpoenaed to testify in front of a Georgia grand jury about the phone call. He fought the subpoena, but eventually answered some questions.
Jan. 6, 2021 – Graham breaks with Trump after the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters upset with the 2020 election results.
“Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president, but today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough. I’ve tried to be helpful,” Graham said on the Senate floor.
Graham’s phone records would later be subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In 2025, Graham said he planned to sue the federal government for subpoenaing the phone records without his knowledge.
January 2023 – Graham backs President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in the 2024 campaign. “How many times have we heard, we like Trump policies, but we want somebody else,” Graham said. “There are no Trump policies without Donald Trump.”
July 2023 – Graham is loudly booed at a Trump campaign rally in Pickens County. Some political insiders begin to speculate Graham might in trouble politically.
July 2025 – As Senate budget chairman, Graham helps shepherd through Trump’s spending and tax bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
June 2026 – Graham wins the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in South Carolina as he sought a fifth term.
July 2026 – Graham travels to Ukraine where he announces a bipartisan deal that has the White House’s support to issue sanctions on Russia as a tool to pressure the nation to end its war on Ukraine.
“I’ve never been more optimistic than I am today,” Graham said. “We have the formula to end this war. Help Ukraine be more lethal. Let those supporting Russia know it’s going to be a price to be paid if you keep doing it. And try to find an off-ramp, not to humiliate Putin, but to end this war so that Ukraine will thrive and survive.”
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