Elena Kagan honors Lindsey Graham, who voted for her confirmation
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Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Sen., who died of a ruptured aorta on Saturday. He opened his testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday by offering his condolences following the death of Lindsey Graham, R-Ky.
“On behalf of the entire court, I want to extend my condolences to him, his sister, the rest of his family, and his many friends and colleagues in the House, the Senate, and elsewhere,” Kagan said.
Kagan spent much of her tribute to Graham reflecting on his role in Graham’s 2010 confirmation, noting that she was one of five Senate Republicans who voted in favor of his nomination after being selected by then-President Barack Obama. Graham’s bipartisan support was noticeable at the time, and became even more notable as Supreme Court confirmation votes became increasingly polarized along party lines.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Sen., who died of a ruptured aorta on Saturday. He opened his testimony before the House Appropriations Committee by expressing his condolences following the death of Lindsey Graham, R-Ky. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images; Kent Nishimura /AFP via Getty Images)
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“A lot of Republicans won’t vote for the nominee of someone chosen by a Democratic president, and a lot of Democrats won’t do the same for someone chosen by a Republican president,” Kagan said. “And if you’re going to vote, you certainly wouldn’t expect such cross-party bias from one of the deep red or deep blue states. But still, Senator Graham voted for me.”
“And I remember it vividly, because he was a lively person. It was a long conversation where he met me in his office before my hearing,” Kagan continued. “He took the opportunity to get to know me.”
Although he didn’t know Graham very well, he said he will be remembered for his sense of humor.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan opened her testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday by offering her condolences following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Ky. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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“I think Al Franken said he was the funniest man in the Senate, but what I remember from that hearing was that Senator Graham somehow made me look funny by asking me what I did for Christmas the following year, which is an altogether more difficult thing,” said Kagan, who is Jewish. he said. “And I’m going to skip the back and forth. But many people later told me that the meeting with Senator Graham was the moment my confirmation was confirmed.”
Kagan said she was grateful for the way Graham handled her nomination.
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A woman leaves flowers outside the office of the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in the Russell Senate Office Building on July 13, 2026 in Washington. Graham died on the evening of July 11, 2026, at the age of 71, after a “short and sudden illness.” (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
“I would like to express my gratitude to him not only for his support, but also for approaching the confirmation process with the seriousness and respect he showed,” Kagan said.
Graham served 23 years in the Senate and eight years in the House of Representatives.
He died on Saturday at the age of 71.
His sister, Darline Graham, was appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027.
