Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died on Saturday at age 69, prompting an outpouring of tributes that frequently returned to one moment: his fierce defense of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the contentious September 2018 confirmation hearings. As Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Graham presided over the proceedings after Democrats raised allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh just weeks before a final vote.
The hearings centered on Christine Blasey Ford's accusation that Kavanaugh had assaulted her in high school. The allegation threatened to derail Kavanaugh's nomination to fill the seat vacated by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. On September 27, 2018, Graham delivered an impassioned statement that became viral footage and reshaped the confirmation battle.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Democrats characterized Graham's outburst as a deliberate distraction from the serious allegations at hand. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who had received Ford's letter through her office, stated that she handled the matter appropriately by referring it to proper authorities for investigation. The Democratic position held that Americans deserved a thorough FBI investigation before confirming a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court.
Progressive advocacy groups argued that Graham's rhetoric minimized sexual assault survivors' experiences. Organizations including Planned Parenthood and NARAL called the Republican response an attempt to silence credible allegations through partisan attacks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said at the time that the proceedings represented 'a sham process designed to rubber-stamp a nominee with a troubling past.'
Critics within the left noted that Graham's own stated positions on judicial nominees had shifted dramatically from earlier statements about the importance of thorough vetting. The 2018 hearings marked one of the most polarized Supreme Court confirmation processes in modern history, with no Democrats voting to confirm Kavanaugh.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans praised Graham's speech as a principled defense against what they characterized as a last-minute smear campaign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky called it 'the most memorable moment of courage' he had witnessed in his decades in Washington. The Republican National Committee released statements highlighting how Graham had exposed alleged coordination among Democrats to delay the confirmation.
Conservative commentators on Fox News and Breitbart argued that Ford's allegations, while serious, lacked corroborating evidence after an FBI investigation limited in scope by the White House. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri stated that Graham correctly identified 'a coordinated effort to destroy a nominee's character without providing substantive proof.'
Graham himself addressed his own party directly during the hearing, urging Republicans not to be intimidated: 'If you vote no, you're legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics.' He told Kavanaugh at one point, 'I hope you're on the Supreme Court, that's exactly where you should be.'
What the Numbers Show
Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by a 50-48 Senate vote on October 6, 2018 — the closest margin for a Supreme Court confirmation since 1881. Only one Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against confirmation while voting present on a procedural motion. One Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, crossed party lines to vote yes.
The American Bar Association had given Kavanaugh its highest rating of 'well qualified' both before and after the allegations surfaced. A September 2018 Quinnipiac University poll found that 51% of Americans believed Ford's testimony was credible, while 46% said Kavanaugh should withdraw from consideration. A separate Politico/Morning Consult poll showed 42% approved of how Republicans handled the hearings compared to 37% for Democrats.
Senate Judiciary Committee votes split entirely along party lines: all 11 Republicans supported advancing the nomination while all 10 Democrats opposed it. The final confirmation vote saw no crossover support from the Democratic caucus, marking only the second time since 1900 that a Supreme Court nominee received zero votes from the opposing party.
The Bottom Line
Graham's defense of Kavanaugh became one of the defining moments of his Senate career and helped secure conservative votes that might have otherwise wavered. The speech reframed the narrative around the hearings by focusing on process complaints rather than the allegations themselves, according to political analysts who covered the proceedings.
Kavanaugh remains on the Supreme Court. Graham served seven terms in the Senate before his death, becoming one of the chamber's most prominent voices on foreign policy and judicial nominations. The 2018 confirmation battle foreshadowed deeper partisan divides over court appointments that continue to shape legislative battles today.