Foreign-policy hawk, Trump ally: Lindsey Graham’s legacy

Summary

Podcast Summary: Apple News Today

Episode: How Lindsey Graham Transformed Under Trump
Host: Gideon Resnick (in for Shumita Basu)
Date: July 13, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode opens with the major news of Senator Lindsey Graham’s sudden death at 71 and explores his political journey — especially his transformation during the Trump era. The episode also covers escalating conflict between the US and Iran, the controversy over an ICE shooting in Houston, brief political updates, and Wimbledon tennis highlights. The primary focus is on how Graham’s legacy evolved and became intertwined with Donald Trump.

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Main Segment: Lindsey Graham’s Legacy and Transformation

Graham’s Sudden Passing [00:45–00:59]

• Senator Lindsey Graham died from an aortic tear shortly after returning from Ukraine.
• Scheduled national TV appearances missed due to his sudden death.

Tributes and Reactions [01:07–01:44]

• President Trump expressed condolences:
  "What a terrible loss it is. He's a great politician. He was a natural ... got along with everybody. When he didn't, he was very tough. You know, he's a tough cookie, too..." — Donald Trump [01:12]
• Ukrainian President Zelensky called Graham a “true defender of freedom.”
• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends."

Foreign Policy and Hawkish Stance [01:29–01:41]

• Graham described as the Senate’s leading foreign policy hawk, staunch against Iran and Russia, unwavering supporter of Israel.

Transformation under Trump [01:52–02:15]

• Early opposition to Trump, including his famous 2015 remark:
  "You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell." — Lindsey Graham [02:04]
• Initially called Trump a demagogue, voted for an independent in 2016.
• Relationship changed after Trump's election; became close confidante and golfing partner.
• Rift after January 6 attack:
  "We've had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. Oh, my God, I hate it ... count me out. Enough is enough." — Lindsey Graham [02:23]
• Later reconciled, Graham returned as a crucial Trump ally.

Key Roles and Achievements [02:45–03:21]

• Instrumental in blocking President Obama’s Supreme Court pick (Merrick Garland), paving way for Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment [02:45–02:57].
• As budget chair during Trump’s second term, advanced key legislation (“Big Beautiful Bill Act”) and supported the war with Iran.
• Defensive of Trump’s foreign policy:
  "If you do not see this as an imminent threat, then you're blind for your hatred of Trump ... That's sick." — Lindsey Graham [03:05]

Personal Life and Legacy [03:21–04:04]

• Elected in 2002, built bipartisan relationships, but later years marked by strained connections with Democrats.
• Remembered for humor, Southern charm, and deep family loyalty — notably, adopting his sister after their parents’ death.
• Final legislative legacy may be the Russia sanctions package, with some lawmakers urging its passage in his honor [03:37–03:47].

Aftermath [04:00–04:14]

• South Carolina’s Republican governor to appoint temporary replacement, primary to follow.

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Additional Key Segments

US–Iran Escalation and Strait of Hormuz [04:14–07:50]

• Renewed conflict despite interim peace deal:
  • Iran attacks civilian ship, US responds with heaviest bombardment in months.
  • Dispute centers on ambiguous ceasefire clause over control of Strait of Hormuz.
• Wall Street Journal’s Lawrence Norman breaks down the deal’s contradictions:
  "It literally says two contradictory things. On the one hand, it says that it is up to Iran and Oman ... It also says Iran must agree to ensure safe passage." — Lawrence Norman [05:17]
• Both sides have incentives to avoid escalation, as renewed fighting could devastate economies and impact global oil prices.
• UN Secretary General warns: complete breakdown would have catastrophic global consequences [07:50].

Houston ICE Shooting and Family’s Outcry [08:06–10:55]

• Contested account: Three witnesses dispute DHS story; claim ICE fired without warning.
• Family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo (victim) describes his American dream and lack of criminal history: "Part of his dream was to build a house for himself and his family ... And he did." — Ronaldo Salgado Araujo [09:36]
• No body cam or dashboard footage; investigation ongoing.
• Salgado Araujo’s death is the 10th from federal immigration enforcement since Trump’s second term began.

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Brief Updates & Other News

Senator Mitch McConnell’s Health [11:09–11:41]

• Breaking silence, reveals recovery from a fall and pneumonia.
• Republicans temporarily down two members with Graham’s death.

DOJ Subpoenas Reporters [11:47–12:18]

• New York Times journalists subpoenaed over Air Force One security story; DOJ says leakers — not reporters — are the target.

Wimbledon Finals Results [12:18–13:09]

• Jannik Sinner wins fifth Grand Slam, defends Wimbledon title.
• Linda Noskova claims her first women’s title over Karolina Muchova.

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Notable Quotes

• Donald Trump on Graham:
  "What a terrible loss it is. He's a great politician. He was a natural ... he got along with everybody ..." [01:12]
• Lindsey Graham (on Trump, 2015):
  "You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell." [02:04]
• Lindsey Graham (post–J6):
  "We've had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way ... count me out. Enough is enough." [02:23]
• Lawrence Norman (on Iran deal):
  "It literally says two contradictory things ..." [05:17]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:45] Graham’s death and political impact
• [01:07] National and international tributes
• [01:52] Early stance against Trump and subsequent alliance
• [02:45] Graham’s achievements in the Senate
• [03:37] Russia sanctions package and legacy
• [04:14] US-Iran conflict begins
• [05:17] Lawrence Norman deconstructs the peace deal
• [08:06] ICE shooting in Houston detailed
• [11:09] McConnell’s health condition update
• [12:18] Wimbledon championship recap

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Conclusion

This episode offers a nuanced reflection on Lindsey Graham’s shifting political identity, the complexity of US-Iran relations, and pressing social controversies, providing listeners with a thorough roundup of current affairs, memorable analysis, and voices from across the spectrum.

Transcript

[Gideon Resnick]

Good morning. Politicians at home and abroad pay tribute

[Apple News Narrator]

to Senator Lindsey Graham, who has died suddenly at 71.

[Gideon Resnick]

Iran and the US escalate strikes in the Gulf. The Wall Street Journal explains how the

[Apple News Narrator]

peace agreement left the door open for further attacks.

[Lawrence Norman]

The ambiguities in the interim deal have allowed both sides to interpret that deal differently, and that fundamentally is what has

[Apple News Narrator]

pushed them back into conflict and thrilling pair of Wimbledon finals.

[Gideon Resnick]

It's Monday, July 13th. I'm Gideon Resnick in for Shamita Vesu.

[Apple News Narrator]

This is Apple News today.

[Gideon Resnick]

Capitol Hill lost one of its highest

[Apple News Narrator]

profile members this weekend after South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham passed away suddenly.

[Gideon Resnick]

His office said he died from an

[Apple News Narrator]

aortic tear, According to early findings from a medical examiner.

[Gideon Resnick]

Graham had just returned from a trip

[Apple News Narrator]

to Ukraine, where he'd met with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and he passed away only hours before being due to appear on one of the Sunday shows.

[Gideon Resnick]

President Trump told CNN that he had

[Apple News Narrator]

spoken to Graham on the night of his death on the phone.

[Donald Trump]

What a terrible loss it is. He's a great politician. He was a natural. There are very few of them. He was a natural politician, got along with everybody. When he didn't, he was very tough. You know, he's a tough cookie, too, but he got a. Got along with everybody.

[Gideon Resnick]

Graham was perhaps the most prominent foreign

[Apple News Narrator]

policy hawk in the Senate, urging the US to shape the world with its military and economic power.

[Gideon Resnick]

He was a staunch advocate for actions

[Apple News Narrator]

against Iran and Russia and offered unwavering support for Israel.

[Gideon Resnick]

Zelensky described him as a true defender

[Apple News Narrator]

of freedom, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that, quote, israel has lost one of its greatest friends.

[Gideon Resnick]

The latter years of Graham's legacy became

[Apple News Narrator]

inescapably connected with President Trump. In the early days of Trump's first campaign, Graham shared the view of much of the Republican establishment, saying this to CNN in 2015 and you know how

[Lindsey Graham]

you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.

[Gideon Resnick]

Back then, Graham likened Trump to a

[Apple News Narrator]

demagogue and voted for an independent candidate in 2016.

[Gideon Resnick]

They went on to become much closer

[Apple News Narrator]

after Trump was elected, regularly golfing together. Though their relationship did briefly sour following the January 6 riot at the Capitol.

[Lindsey Graham]

We've had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. Oh, my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he's been a consequential president. But today, first thing you'll see, all I can say is, count me out. Enough is enough.

[Gideon Resnick]

But in recent years, they became close

[Apple News Narrator]

again, and ultimately, Graham's key senatorial positions have consistently made him a useful ally.

[Gideon Resnick]

As head of the Judiciary Committee, he

[Apple News Narrator]

helped block President Obama's Supreme Court pick, Merrick Garland, keeping the vacancy open for Trump, and he oversaw the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett in 2020.

[Gideon Resnick]

Then, as budget chair for Trump's second

[Apple News Narrator]

term, he helped advance the Big Beautiful Bill act and served as one of the most prominent supporters of the war with Iran.

[Lindsey Graham]

If you do not see this as an imminent threat, then you're blind for your hatred of Trump. There are people on the left and people in my own party that are more afraid of Trump being successful than the Ayatollah having nuclear weapon. That's sick.

[Gideon Resnick]

Graham was elected senator in 2002, and his death drew tributes from the relationships

[Apple News Narrator]

he forged on both sides of the aisle, including former President Biden.

[Gideon Resnick]

Many spoke of his humor and Southern

[Apple News Narrator]

charm, though his loyalty to Trump strained his relationships with Democrats in latter years.

[Gideon Resnick]

One of his last legislative accomplishments could

[Apple News Narrator]

end up being a Russia sanctions package, which Trump greenlit on Friday.

[Gideon Resnick]

Some lawmakers are now calling for it

[Apple News Narrator]

to be passed in his honor.

[Gideon Resnick]

Graham never married or had kids, but

[Apple News Narrator]

he leaves behind his younger sister, Darlene. After their parents died, he formally adopted her and they remained close throughout his life.

[Gideon Resnick]

In South Carolina, the state's Republican governor

[Apple News Narrator]

will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham,

[Gideon Resnick]

and then a primary election will follow

[Apple News Narrator]

for voters to select a new nominee.

[Gideon Resnick]

The US And Iran traded intense strikes

[Apple News Narrator]

over the weekend as the fragile truce showed signs of breaking down entirely.

[Gideon Resnick]

First, Iran attacked a civilian container ship

[Apple News Narrator]

passing through the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze. One crew member is now missing.

[Gideon Resnick]

That sparked the heaviest US Bombardment of

[Apple News Narrator]

Iranian military targets in months, and Iran responded with attacks on US Bases across the Persian Gulf.

[Gideon Resnick]

Iran also declared the vital waterway closed

[Apple News Narrator]

to unauthorized traffic, a claim the US Says it has no right to make.

[Gideon Resnick]

The two sides have been locked into

[Apple News Narrator]

a power struggle over the future of the Strait for months.

[Lawrence Norman]

Iran wants to control the Strait of Hormuz and traffic through it, and the US doesn't want that to be the case.

[Gideon Resnick]

Lawrence Norman has been reporting on the

[Apple News Narrator]

war for the Wall Street Journal, and

[Gideon Resnick]

he told us this all dates back

[Apple News Narrator]

to the interim agreement both countries signed in June.

[Gideon Resnick]

The deal kicked off a 60 day

[Apple News Narrator]

ceasefire and talks aimed at reaching lasting peace. But one paragraph in the agreement, in fact just one clause, is threatening to unravel everything.

[Lawrence Norman]

It literally says two contradictory things. On the one hand, it says that it is up to Iran and Amman, in consultation with regional countries, to design a management approach to who controls the strait.

[Apple News Narrator]

It also says Iran must agree to ensure safe passage through the strait and to remove military obstacles like mines, basically returning the waterway to the pre war status quo.

[Gideon Resnick]

But the US And Iran have very

[Apple News Narrator]

different interpretations of what the deal means.

[Lawrence Norman]

The Iranians think that agreement gives them the right to control and to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical strategic waterway for global energy supplies. The United States believes that that agreement does not say that and does not give Iran control.

[Gideon Resnick]

Iran effectively took control of the strait

[Apple News Narrator]

soon after the war started by firing drones and missiles at ships and choking off traff.

[Gideon Resnick]

It became a powerful bargaining chip in

[Apple News Narrator]

the conflict as shipping came to a standstill, putting pressure on the global energy market.

[Gideon Resnick]

And Norman says Iran is now reluctant

[Apple News Narrator]

to give that leverage up, even though the interim deal says Iran has to talk with Oman about how to manage the waterway.

[Gideon Resnick]

Oman is Iran's neighbor across the strait.

[Apple News Narrator]

It controls the southern coast of the waterway and it's been operating a shipping route that runs through its territory. To bypass the Iranian blockade, the US Military has been encouraging ships to use Oman's route.

[Lawrence Norman]

The US and the rest of the world are not simply going to allow Iran to control that strait. I think it's fair to say that everyone across the world, not just in the Gulf countries, but in Europe, in Asia. China, which is a major oil recipient from Iran, thinks that there should be safe passage for vessels and they shouldn't have to pay for it.

[Gideon Resnick]

Iran and Oman, however, do want to

[Apple News Narrator]

impose new fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite objections from the US and others.

[Lawrence Norman]

We're yet to see ultimately where this issue of control of the Strait of Hormuz will end up.

[Gideon Resnick]

But Norman says it's in the interest

[Apple News Narrator]

of both the US And Iran to stick to the interim deal. Despite these now frequent flare ups in the strait.

[Lawrence Norman]

The Iranians know that renewed US Attacks would do great damage to their economy. The Americans know that shutting down the strait again will push oil prices higher, will harm the global economy. So both sides have a real reason to keep the interim deal held up and to avoid conflict.

[Gideon Resnick]

On Sunday, the UN Secretary General warned

[Apple News Narrator]

that a return to full scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences for the global economy.

[Gideon Resnick]

Three men who saw an ICE official

[Apple News Narrator]

fatally shoot a man in Houston last week are contesting the Department of Homeland Security's account of what happened.

[Gideon Resnick]

Agents stopped Lorenzo Salgado Araujo as he

[Apple News Narrator]

was driving to work. DHS accused him of attempting to hit an officer with his van and to evade arrest, forcing them to act in self defense and shoot him.

[Gideon Resnick]

But the men who were carpooling to work with Salgado Araujo that morning say

[Apple News Narrator]

that ICE officers rammed their unmarked vehicles into Salgado Araujo's van and started firing almost immediately after exiting their cars.

[Arlise Hernandez]

From their point of view, as passengers in that vehicle, they were spooked by what happened.

[Gideon Resnick]

Arlise Hernandez is a national immigration reporter

[Apple News Narrator]

for the Washington Post.

[Arlise Hernandez]

From their point of view, at no point did they ram any ICE vehicles. And in their view, they thought it was impossible for DHS to claim that any agent was in any kind of danger of being run over by the white van.

[Gideon Resnick]

The men in Salgado Araujo's vehicle were

[Apple News Narrator]

subsequently detained by immigration officials.

[Arlise Hernandez]

These three men find themselves in removal proceedings at the ICE detention center, which means the government is actively working towards having them deported from the country. They are all three undocumented, have been here for decades.

[Apple News Narrator]

Salgado Araujo was a Mexican national without legal status.

[Gideon Resnick]

His family said he came to the

[Apple News Narrator]

US about 35 years ago, had no criminal record, and that he built a business constructing homes in Houston to support their family. Here's his son Ronaldo speaking with reporters last week.

[Ronaldo Salgado Araujo]

Part of his dream was to build a house for himself and his family, just like the hundreds he had built for himself over his career. One that he could call home, one that he can call ours, our home. And he did.

[Gideon Resnick]

And they said Salgado Araujo was in

[Apple News Narrator]

the process of obtaining a work permit when ICE killed him.

[Gideon Resnick]

DHS have since said that he was

[Apple News Narrator]

not the target of ICE's operation.

[Gideon Resnick]

They said they were actually looking for

[Apple News Narrator]

a Guatemalan immigrant who had been linked to a van similar to the one Salgado Araujo was driving.

[Gideon Resnick]

The agents apparently thought one of his

[Apple News Narrator]

passengers resembled their suspect, and so they initiated the stop.

[Gideon Resnick]

None of the agents were wearing body

[Apple News Narrator]

cameras and no dashboard footage was recorded.

[Gideon Resnick]

ICE policy says agents should wear body

[Apple News Narrator]

cameras as a best practice.

[Arlise Hernandez]

The last time that I spoke to DHS about this, they said that they were in the throes of implementing a program where they were prioritizing certain units, like they have special response teams and things like that with body cam. It's unclear why these individuals in particular were not wearing them.

[Gideon Resnick]

His Death marks the 10th time federal

[Apple News Narrator]

immigration officials have shot and killed someone since Trump took office for his second term.

[Gideon Resnick]

The local district attorney, the FBI, and

[Apple News Narrator]

the Inspector General's office for the Department of Homeland Security are now investigating.

[Gideon Resnick]

But Salgado Araujo's family are calling for

[Apple News Narrator]

an independent inquiry along with several Democratic members of Congress. Here are a few other stories we're following today.

[Gideon Resnick]

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell broke weeks of

[Apple News Narrator]

silence yesterday with an update on his health.

[Gideon Resnick]

He said his recent hospitalization came after

[Apple News Narrator]

suffering a fall and losing consciousness last

[Gideon Resnick]

month and then battling what he called

[Apple News Narrator]

a mild case of pneumonia.

[Gideon Resnick]

His statement gave no timetable for returning, but he said he intended to finish

[Apple News Narrator]

the job that he'd been elected to do before retiring after this term.

[Gideon Resnick]

The statement was accompanied by a picture

[Apple News Narrator]

of him sitting up and smiling with his wife by his side. It also included a note from his attending physician, which said that he'd been cleared for a physical therapy program.

[Gideon Resnick]

With the death of Lindsey Graham, McConnell's

[Apple News Narrator]

absence means Republicans are missing two of their senators at the moment.

[Gideon Resnick]

The Department of Justice subpoenaed a group

[Apple News Narrator]

of New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new Qatari gifted Air Force One that President Trump received.

[Gideon Resnick]

Their story said that those concerns contributed

[Apple News Narrator]

to the president using the older Air Force One to depart from the recent NATO summit. The subpoenas follow earlier ones that had been issued to reporters at the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, though both were later withdrawn.

[Gideon Resnick]

The DOJ said in a statement that

[Apple News Narrator]

people leaking classified information were the targets, not reporters.

[Gideon Resnick]

And finally, Italian Jannik Sinner defended his

[Apple News Narrator]

Wimbledon title in an exciting men's final on Sunday at the All England Club.

[Wimbledon Commentator]

How about that? How about that? Forehand crushed four sets of compelling tennis to finish up Wimbledon. 20:26 A final to remember Sinner beat

[Gideon Resnick]

German Alexander Zverev to win his fifth Grand Slam title.

[Apple News Narrator]

It was Sinner's first tournament back after the world number one lost in stunning fashion in the second round of the French Open. That very tournament marked Zverev's first Grand Slam title.

[Gideon Resnick]

Despite losing yesterday, he will now become the world number two, leapfrogging Carlos Alcaraz,

[Apple News Narrator]

who's been nursing an injury.

[Gideon Resnick]

On the women's side, a new champion

[Apple News Narrator]

was crowned as Linda Noskova beat fellow Czech finalist Karolina Mukova for her first Grand Slam title.

[Gideon Resnick]

You can find all these stories and

[Apple News Narrator]

more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening to the

[Gideon Resnick]

news app right now, we've got a

[Apple News Narrator]

narrated article coming up next. The Atlantic reports on the Rosenberg boys, whose parents were executed in the 1950s for spying, and why they're still grappling with their parents fate decades later.

[Gideon Resnick]

If you're listening in the podcast app, you can follow Apple News Narrated to find that story.

[Apple News Narrator]

And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.