Vice President Vance invoked the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) fiery defense of Brett Kavanaugh at a memorial service for the South Carolina Republican held at the Capitol on Tuesday, drawing a direct line between two of the most contentious Supreme Court confirmation battles in recent memory.
Graham died July 23 at age 69 after serving three decades in the Senate. He was remembered by colleagues from both parties as a consequential legislator and a sometimes unpredictable political force. During his memorial service, Vance quoted Graham's impassioned remarks defending Kavanaugh during the then-Supreme Court nominee's 2018 confirmation hearings, when allegations of sexual assault surfaced.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats who served with Graham acknowledged his legislative accomplishments while noting that his invocation at the memorial drew criticism from some progressive circles. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) told reporters outside the Capitol that 'Lindsey could be a effective partner on legislation one day and an antagonist the next.' Some liberal commentators argued that Vance's decision to invoke the Kavanaugh hearings at a memorial service was politically pointed, given ongoing debates about judicial independence and the courts.
What the Right Is Saying
Senate Republicans praised Vance for highlighting Graham's fierce loyalty to conservative nominees. 'Lindsey understood what was at stake with these lifetime appointments,' said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). 'He wasn't going to let character assassination go unanswered.' Graham had become a leading voice for confirming conservative judges, and his defense of Kavanaugh in 2018 became one of the most memorable moments in modern confirmation history.
What the Numbers Show
Graham served 30 years in the Senate, first elected in 1994. He was known as a reliable conservative vote on judicial appointments, supporting all three of Trump's Supreme Court nominees: Kavanaugh (2018), Neil Gorsuch (2017), and Amy Coney Barrett (2020). The 2018 confirmation process lasted 90 days, with protests filling the Capitol grounds throughout.
The Bottom Line
The memorial service brought together members of both parties to honor a senator known for his combative style and occasional bipartisanship. Vance's choice to invoke Graham's Kavanaugh defense highlighted how judicial confirmations remain among the most politically charged battles in Washington. Graham will lie in state at the Capitol on Thursday before burial in South Carolina.