Trump administration 2024-2028

[Blackadder1916]

Wow, he was just in Kyiv, on his feet and healthy, on Friday.

Graham was a Trump ally, Iran hawk, Ukraine supporter, Israel supporter, and very senior and powerful in the Senate. His death will be a bit more impactful than most.

No idea how replacing a Senator works in South Carolina.

The starter's pistol has already gone off and as early as next week those Republicans scrambling to replace Graham in this November's election can file the paperwork for a very quick primary.

Lindsey Graham Was Facing Re-election in November. What Happens Now?

South Carolina law suggests his death triggers an Aug. 11 special Republican primary election, and the state’s governor can appoint a replacement to serve out the rest of his term, through early January.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

It's a very old congress, so I assume this will be a familiar theme...

Congress, once again, is getting older​

Only the sessions beginning in 2017 and 2021 were older.

With an average member age of 58.9 years old, the 119th Congress is the third oldest since 1789, according to an NBC News analysis of congressional membership and birth-date data. It shows that while the Senate got a little younger, the House aged, and that baby boomers are losing seats to Generation X and millennials.

Congress, once again, is getting older

Only the sessions beginning in 2017 and 2021 were older.

www.nbcnews.com

It'll get younger as soon as Mitch's status is resolved.

 

[mariomike]

It'll get younger as soon as Mitch's status is resolved.

Chuck Grassley, turning 93 in Sept., is #3 on deck for the presidency.

POTUS tweeted Lindsay Graham , "is dead!"

No word if he sent Mitch a Get Well Soon card , or Whitman Sampler .

Several people have reported they had conversations with McConnell.

Wonder what Mitch will have to say about Lindsay G.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Wow, he was just in Kyiv, on his feet and healthy, on Friday.

Graham was a Trump ally, Iran hawk, Ukraine supporter, Israel supporter, and very senior and powerful in the Senate. His death will be a bit more impactful than most.

So many words where one will do: Graham was a neo-con.

No idea how replacing a Senator works in South Carolina.

Governor's appointment. Governor is solid Republican.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Wow, he was just in Kyiv, on his feet and healthy, on Friday.

Graham was a Trump ally, Iran hawk, Ukraine supporter, Israel supporter, and very senior and powerful in the Senate. His death will be a bit more impactful than most.

No idea how replacing a Senator works in South Carolina.

Lots and lots of money!

 

[Retired AF Guy]

So many words where one will do: Graham was a neo-con.

Governor's appointment. Governor is solid Republican.

The AI answer:

The replacement of Senator Lindsey Graham in South Carolina follows a dual-track process under state law to fill his current Senate seat and select a new Republican nominee for the November election.

1. Temporary Appointment Governor Henry McMaster has the authority to appoint a temporary successor to fill the vacant Senate seat immediately. This appointee will serve until January 3, 2027, and South Carolina law does not require the governor to choose someone from the same political party, though a Republican is expected.

2. Special Republican Primary To determine the permanent Republican nominee for the November general election, a special primary must be held. The process is governed by South Carolina Code § 7-11-55:

• Filing Period: Opens on July 21 and closes on July 28.
• Special Primary: Scheduled for August 11. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff will be held on August 25.
• General Election: The winner of the special primary will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November. The nominee must be certified at least two weeks before the general election (by October 20) to appear on the ballot.

Votes cast for Graham’s name on the printed November ballot will automatically be counted for the newly certified Republican nominee. The U.S. Senate does not choose the replacement; its role is limited to seating the individual selected through these state procedures.

 

[brihard]

So many words where one will do: Graham was a neo-con.

That would not have reliably conveyed what I was trying to say, nor would I assume everyone here would assume political alignment across all issues works that simplistically. Feel free to decide how you’ll word things, and I’ll continue to decide how I do.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Lots and lots of money!

Graham spent $27 million so far just on the primary; six years ago he spent $104 million on his re-election campaign. That was for a "safe" Republican seat.

An article from last month.

Lindsey Graham Once Joked About Breaking A Senate Record. Now He’s Spending Millions To Do It.

The South Carolinian is spending like he's in political trouble; it's not clear that he is.

www.huffpost.com

Graham has spent an astounding $27 million on his reelection campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings, and that’s even before his primary next week. His five GOP opponents — none of whom has a high statewide profile ― combined have spent less than a fifth of that.

With a prophetic comment from a political consultant.

“Lindsey won’t lose. He’s spending money because he can,” Sullivan said. “Lindsey has absolutely no intention of leaving the United States Senate vertically. He’ll die in that seat.”

 

[Czech_pivo]

Graham spent $27 million so far just on the primary; six years ago he spent $104 million on his re-election campaign. That was for a "safe" Republican seat.

An article from last month.

Lindsey Graham Once Joked About Breaking A Senate Record. Now He’s Spending Millions To Do It.

The South Carolinian is spending like he's in political trouble; it's not clear that he is.

www.huffpost.com

With a prophetic comment from a political consultant.

Hence why I believe that no real news on Mitch has come out - they are busily moving the money around, calling in outstanding invoices/contributions and such until they are ready to make the announcement.

 

[brihard]

Hence why I believe that no real news on Mitch has come out - they are busily moving the money around, calling in outstanding invoices/contributions and such until they are ready to make the announcement.

I find it very plausible that he’s vegetative and that there’s a lot of hand wringing going on. I think Kentucky’s voters deserve to have this situation unequivocally clarified. If he’s conscious and lucid, it would be easy to have a couple neutral parties see and affirm that.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I find it very plausible that he’s vegetative and that there’s a lot of hand wringing going on. I think Kentucky’s voters deserve to have this situation unequivocally clarified. If he’s conscious and lucid, it would be easy to have a couple neutral parties see and affirm that.

As someone else on here previously pointed out, the stats are squarely stacked against him.

 

[Good2Golf]

I find it very plausible that he’s vegetative and that there’s a lot of hand wringing going on. I think Kentucky’s voters deserve to have this situation unequivocally clarified. If he’s conscious and lucid, it would be easy to have a couple neutral parties see and affirm that.

If a vote is required by the Senate, that would absolutely bring the issue to the fore.

 

[mariomike]

As someone else on here previously pointed out, the stats are squarely stacked against him.

Maybe Mitch beat the odds?

Scott Jennings makes part of his living puncturing Democratic balloons on CNN. I doubt he'd try to blow up one of his own. Ditto a couple of other big names. These aren't people living on the extreme left or right fringes. What would be the point of trying to tell a whoppingly large easily disprovable lie?

I am mystified at the shit people will believe easily on one hand ("McConnell is brain dead") and the strong skepticism they suddenly find on another ("are the denials true?").

 

[Blackadder1916]

Hence why I believe that no real news on Mitch has come out - they are busily moving the money around, calling in outstanding invoices/contributions and such until they are ready to make the announcement.

It is possible that there is skullduggery involved in the public announcements about McConnell's health (it's politics, so it's a given that there's skullduggery), but it is unlikely that the reason is so they can move money around. McConnell was not seeking reelection in November and his FEC fillings would indicate that there wasn't the activity, (i.e., not a lot of donations, cash, etc to deal with) that would be commensurate with an active campaign. As well, US federal law already deals with how a "campaign committee" (the donations are made to the committee not the individual candidate) winds down the finances when a candidate dies, is incapacitated or quits.

MCCONNELL, MITCH - Candidate overview - FEC.gov

Explore current and historic federal campaign finance data on the new fec.gov. Look at totals and trends, and see how candidates and committees raise and spend money. When you find what you need, export results and save custom links.

www.fec.gov

Who controls campaign funds when a candidate dies?

John is a candidate for Congress. His campaign committee consists of himself and a treasurer (or perhaps only himself). Before the election, he suddenly dies. His campaign has raised but not spent $1

law.stackexchange.com

And as a comparison Graham's FEC financial summary

GRAHAM, LINDSEY O. - Candidate overview - FEC.gov

Explore current and historic federal campaign finance data on the new fec.gov. Look at totals and trends, and see how candidates and committees raise and spend money. When you find what you need, export results and save custom links.

www.fec.gov

 

[mariomike]

I find it very plausible that he’s vegetative and that there’s a lot of hand wringing going on.

Looking pretty spry , if this is not AI / Fake News?

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/senator-mitch-mcconnell-releases-note-new-photo-sharing-health-update-elaine-chao/417-c458bd9a-f29d-4d57-a6b7-8a0b41fdd53d

 

[brihard]

Looking pretty spry , if this is not AI / Fake News?

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/senator-mitch-mcconnell-releases-note-new-photo-sharing-health-update-elaine-chao/417-c458bd9a-f29d-4d57-a6b7-8a0b41fdd53d

Both times I’ve done actual CPR, their sternums cracked free of the ribs. I’m skeptical that if EMS were doing CPR he would look as good as he does. I don’t see any lines or tubes off him either. So something somewhere has been reported very incorrectly.

Nice touch with the subtle inclusion of the newspaper with recognizable photo.

He certainly looks to be in good enough shape for a quick visit from the governor, so this should be settled quickly.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Both times I’ve done actual CPR, their sternums cracked free of the ribs. I’m skeptical that if EMS were doing CPR he would look as good as he does. I don’t see any lines or tubes off him either. So something somewhere has been reported very incorrectly.

Nice touch with the subtle inclusion of the newspaper with recognizable photo.

He certainly looks to be in good enough shape for a quick visit from the governor, so this should be settled quickly.

Wonder if he was intubated from the pneumonia over the few weeks and since then he had extubation occur and is on the mend.
Most likely the full story, whatever it is, will come out.

 

[brihard]

Wonder if he was intubated from the pneumonia over the few weeks and since then he had extubation occur and is on the mend.
Most likely the full story, whatever it is, will come out.

Maybe. My understanding gleaned from the height of Covid is that intubation is highly invasive and traumatic, and often involves a lengthy recovery. He looks remarkably good for someone of his age if he was in that state.

I remain skeptical due to the long period of seeming silence in the face of grave and public concern, and the seeming incongruence between that and his medical state as now presented, in conjunction with the official narrative his office is presenting.

I’ll allow that they could absolutely have ‘cleaned him up’ quite a bit for a photo op.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Preliminary cause of death for Senator Graham

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/12/grahams-office-releases-preliminary-cause-of-death-00994310

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden passing was caused by a heart issue, according to a preliminary examination by the District of Columbia’s medical examiner.

The preliminary findings, released by Graham’s office, found that Graham’s death was caused by “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.” Aortic dissection is a life-threatening medical emergency where a tear occurs in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery.

Coincidently, I recently commented in another thread about aortic dissection.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Maybe. My understanding gleaned from the height of Covid is that intubation is highly invasive and traumatic, and often involves a lengthy recovery. He looks remarkably good for someone of his age if he was in that state.

I remain skeptical due to the long period of seeming silence in the face of grave and public concern, and the seeming incongruence between that and his medical state as now presented, in conjunction with the official narrative his office is presenting.

I’ll allow that they could absolutely have ‘cleaned him up’ quite a bit for a photo op.

My Mom was intubated during Covid for 11 days before the tubes were removed.
The first give away when that occurs is the voice - the voice is a whisper and gravelly.
If he spoke we might have a better sense of what occurred.