Former South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham passed away at age 71 on Saturday, July 12, 2026, following a brief and sudden illness later revealed to be a heart condition, according to a statement from his office on Sunday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

On Monday, July 14, 2026, former MSNBC anchor Joy Reid delivered a lengthy tirade on her podcast, "The Joy Reid Show," about Graham's death. Reid remarked that "hell opened its doors for at least one more," and accused Graham of betraying his friends and country.

"You’re going to be remembered as someone who betrayed your friends, who betrayed your country, and who claimed that you cared about relationships," Reid said. "But in the end, the only relationship you actually cared about was the relationship with Donald Trump. You sold your soul to the devil, and now you get to meet him in person."

Reid also criticized the media's reaction to conservative figures like Graham, stating, "There is a thing that happens when people who are not good people, and who’ve done a lot of bad … the media reacts to them in a very specific sort of ‘f---ed up-ish’ kind of way, particularly when they’re conservatives."

She further attacked Graham's record on the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling him "one of the most snide, mean, horrific interrogators of Black nominees," especially highlighting his opposition to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022.

Despite her criticisms, Reid acknowledged that Graham was "witty, intelligent, smart enough to do better and to know better," noting that he initially discouraged Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Graham's death has sparked varied reactions, including a New York college professor who celebrated his passing on social media but later apologized.

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