New footage from an unreleased documentary shows the late South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham laughing after his years-long campaign to have President Donald Trump start a war with Iran paid off.
Graham died on the evening of July 11 after returning from an official visit to Ukraine. According to a preliminary finding from the medical examiner, shared by his office, Graham died after suffering an aortic dissection—a tear in the inner wall of the aorta—linked to hardening of the arteries.
British filmmaker Alex Holder was given extraordinary access to Graham over several years, filming more than 400 hours of footage that captured Graham's central role in some of Trump's biggest second-term priorities, including the Iran war and a major Pentagon overhaul.
The documentary features Graham on calls with Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former national security adviser Jake Sullivan, as he enthusiastically supported the military campaign and urged Netanyahu to press ahead.
In one clip, Graham laughs and praises his influence with Trump, saying:
"We've done it. I almost cried. We've been pushing this for years. It's the best thing I've ever done. He loves blowing stuff up."
Speaking about Trump, he says:
"President Trump, when he gets into the zone, he listens, no tweeting."
“He hasn’t tweeted much at all. No drama. He’s been a great wartime president. I said last night that Trump and Bibi are like Roosevelt and Churchill.”
You can hear what Graham said in the video below.
Graham was a war hawk, and the footage confirms a lot of what we know about his role behind the scenes.
Graham previously urged Middle Eastern partners to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling countries such as Saudi Arabia to “up your game.” He also criticized Spain after its leadership strongly opposed the attacks on Iran. Graham told Spain they had “lost your way,” and called on the U.S. to cut ties with the country and withdraw its military air base from Spanish territory.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Graham had traveled repeatedly to Israel to meet privately with Israeli intelligence officials and Netanyahu, advising him on how to persuade Trump to join attacks on Iran. Lawmakers in both parties also believe Graham helped convince Trump to authorize the bombing campaign.
The footage disturbed critics.
Graham's efforts have splintered Republicans.
Just days ago, former Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene called Graham a "murderer" in remarks on the progressive news show The Young Turks, saying Graham's legacy is defined by the fact that he "supported war more than anything."
Greene said Graham "was very good at buddying up with Donald Trump," saying she views Graham's support for the war as a "betrayal." She argued Graham was highly effective at winning Trump's trust and steering him toward his own positions, adding that the outcome "sickens me every single day" and was "never supposed to be that way."














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