In an unexpected turn, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced that he would vote for a trio of political outsiders in the upcoming confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kash Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard. Despite expressing some concerns for Trump’s nominees, Graham's endorsement of these figures marks a shift in the future of the Trump administration, given that all three have stirred debate with their unorthodox positions and anti-establishment stances.
Ahead of this week’s confirmation hearings, Graham said he would vote “yes” on Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, RFK Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services, and Patel for FBI director. However, the senator was not always gung ho about voting in favor of Trump’s nominees.
Graham initially had some reservations about Gabbard after she said she would approve the surveillance program underwritten in Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Before confirming his vote for her, Graham was waiting to see what she would say about Section 702, which is the ability to track foreigners overseas who may be involved in plots against the United States.
Gabbard’s nomination quickly became one of Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks. Critics have pointed to her past stance on Russia, questioning her 2017 meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while she was still serving as a congresswoman. Gabbard can only afford to lose up to three Republican votes, assuming all Democrats vote against her. Graham was one of the individuals who was expected to sink her chances— now it is Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
“I've actually served in a Reserve unit with Tulsi. I've always liked her. I think a lot of her criticism against her has been really mean and off-base," Graham told Fox News host host Shannon Bream. ”She's shown her understanding of how vital 702 is.”
Meanwhile, Graham praised Patel's performance at the Senate confirmation hearing, saying he "knocked it out of the park.” He referred to him as the “antidote to Crossfire Hurricane," the title of the FBI investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign that sought to connect Trump to Russia. He called Crossfire Hurricane one of the most dangerous chapters in FBI history.
“He's going to go in and clean the FBI out to make sure it's never abused like it was in the past,” he said, adding that Patel would be a solution, not a problem, to reforming the FBI.
Regarding Kennedy, Graham said he was convinced RFK Jr. would be committed to leading a pro-life agenda under the Trump administration despite his personal position of being “pro-choice.”
“I am now OK supporting RFK Jr. because I think during the course of the hearing, he’s committed to a Republican pro-life agenda, President Trump’s pro-life agenda, Mexico City policy dealing with chemical abortions,” Graham said, saying that he would take him at his word.
However, Graham stated that he would watch every move RFK Jr. makes to ensure he stays aligned with Trump’s agenda.