NEWT GINGRICH: Lindsey Graham’s courage and patriotism leave a lasting legacy
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I have known Lindsey Graham since we campaigned together in 1994 during the Contract with America reform movement. This effort led the American people to give Republicans control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.
Losing him so suddenly this week was such a shock.
His closest political ally, President Donald Trump, said Senator Graham was “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.” He said Senator Graham was “a true American Patriot.”
LINDSEY GRAHAM, THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO RISED FROM SMALL CITY ROOTS TO GOP POWER COMMAND, DIES AT 71
Senator Graham had a tremendous spirit and an equally great effort to put America on the right track. In the 32 years I knew him, he was always energetic, optimistic, and moving toward the next challenge, reform, or opportunity to get something done.
We have worked together on dozens of issues over the years, and recently we have fought shoulder to shoulder against Russian imperialism for the survival of Ukraine.
Senator Graham was always moving forward, always on the offensive, and always maneuvering to help America achieve its goals.
His relationship with President Trump has been extraordinary. Initially, in 2015, Graham was one of then-candidate Trump’s fiercest and loudest opponents. But when Trump won, Graham set out to be a powerful ally. He knew that with a leader as powerful as President Trump, you can be his ally and accomplish a lot, or you can be his opponent and be frozen out of all the important decisions.
What was fascinating was how well the love of golf brought them together. Senator Graham had the right personality to help the President relax while we played golf together. Literally one of Senator Graham’s greatest contributions was hanging out and helping the President renew his energy and sense of enjoyment in life. And of course they talked a lot about politics between innings.
Senator Graham had an extraordinarily energetic commitment to national security and foreign policy. Long before President Trump came onto the scene, Senator Graham was one of the “three friends” along with Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman. Three of them can be found in almost every hotspot on the planet. They didn’t just talk about national security; They immersed themselves in it and studied it. All of this would have been of great benefit to Senator Graham when the Russians invaded Ukraine. He became one of the leading advocates of stopping Vladimir Putin.
Longtime Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad expressed their impact in a recent tweet. He said, “I remember Senator Graham especially after 9/11 as part of a trio: McCain, Lieberman, and Graham. They were a wonderful, unique package, a bipartisan force who loved America, its servicemen and women, and its national security, including its global leadership role. They helped unite America and reflected that unity in a special time. I saw it up close and personal during their frequent visits to Iraq and Afghanistan while I served in both countries.” “Lindsey, you served America with honor and distinction, and you and Senators McCain and Lieberman will have a honored place in American history.”
Finally, I cannot write about Senator Graham without returning to his first speech to the House. It was the first day of the New Republic Congress. Many freshmen might have been a little intimidated by speaking to the Capitol on that historic day, but Senator Graham was not. Here’s his first contribution as an elected official:
“Mr. Speaker, I come from South Carolina, a state that sent about 18 people to prison a few years ago for buying shirts, buying shoes, going on golf outings, and selling their votes. If members want to reform me, I challenge them to do so. But it’s all in due time. Democrats have had control of this body to do it for 40 years.”
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“What the American people need to know, and what I want voters in my state to know, is that what we talked about doing on day one was changing the way this institution operates.
“The new Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, has done something no Speaker of the House, Republican or Democrat, has ever done in this body. He created a measure that would limit his own term as Speaker. I congratulate him on doing that. Leadership and reform starts at the top, and that’s what he’s shown, and we thank him for doing more than speaking on behalf of freshmen.”
“There’s also a provision in that rule that limits committee chairmen to six-year terms. If we want to change America, this is a great starting point, and that’s what we’re talking about today, changing this institution in a way that breathes new life into it.”
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“Mr. Speaker, ideas matter and they will live a new day.”
Senator Graham continued to fight for reform until his last day. He will be greatly missed by those of us who knew him personally. He will be missed by the entire country for his courage, patriotism, creativity and energy.
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