Long before becoming one of the most influential voices in American politics, Lindsey Graham overcame extraordinary personal hardship on a journey that would take him from rural South Carolina to the U.S. Senate.
“They say Abe Lincoln was our log cabin president. I guess Lindsey was our mobile home senator,” Graham’s law school roommate Warren Mowry said in the new Fox Nation special, “The Life and Legacy of Lindsey Graham.”
Through video clips and interviews from colleagues, friends and former rivals, the special traces Graham’s life from his modest upbringing and early family tragedy of losing his parents to his decades of public service — offering an intimate look at the experiences that shaped one of the Republican Party’s most influential lawmakers.
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“Lindsey honestly is an American success story when you get down to it, because he came from literally the most humble of beginnings,” said Kevin Bishop, Graham’s former communications director.
The special explores how adversity shaped Graham’s sense of responsibility, particularly after he became the legal guardian of his younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, when their parents died just 15 months apart.
“He became the caretaker, the guardian, in order that she wouldn’t be declared an orphan and taken into foster care,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said, reflecting on Graham’s actions.
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Bishop separately discussed how Graham became “everything” Darline needed him to be, stepping up to the plate to become “mom, dad… sounding board” and more.
“Darline will tell you that, and that’s why they were so close,” he said. “They were incredibly close, and Lindsey loved her to death.”
Darline stepped up to the plate in her own way following her brother’s death earlier this month, answering calls from President Donald Trump – and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster – when asked to fill her brother’s Senate seat for the remainder of his term.
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Citing her brother’s commitment to serving the people of South Carolina, Darline has since announced she will seek a full Senate term, saying she hopes to carry on the legacy he spent a lifetime building.
“The Life and Legacy of Lindsey Graham” is now streaming exclusively on Fox Nation.
