Staff Reports
Steve Schmidt’s hard-edged Substack essay refusing to “mourn” Sen. Lindsey Graham exploded online just hours after the South Carolina senator’s sudden death. The post calls Graham “a most contemptible man” and says he “chose worse” by backing Donald Trump. At the same time, President Trump used Sunday TV interviews to say Graham had called him about the SAVE America Act shortly before he fell ill. The death has been confirmed and a preliminary medical‑examiner report points to an aortic dissection related to arteriosclerotic heart disease.
Schmidt’s Substack: Refusal to Mourn
Steve Schmidt did not mince words. In a July Substack essay he wrote, “I won’t mourn Lindsey Graham’s death,” and labeled the late senator “pathetic” and “unprincipled.” Schmidt is a longtime Republican strategist turned anti‑Trump commentator. He has made a career out of loud opinion pieces. But publishing that take during the first hours of a public grieving period looks — to put it kindly — like choosing drama over decency.
Trump’s TV Pivot: From Mourning to the SAVE America Act
Meanwhile, President Trump went on Sunday shows and spoke about the SAVE America Act, saying Graham “literally called me about the SAVE America Act” shortly before his final illness. Pivoting to policy after a lawmaker’s death is political, yes. But it wasn’t an attack; it was a reminder of Graham’s role in GOP priorities. Some will call that tone‑deaf. Others will see it as normal political business continuing in the face of sudden loss.
Why the Contrast Matters
These two reactions — Schmidt’s scorched‑earth obituary and the President’s immediate legislative pitch — tell us something about today’s political theater. One side treats death like a hammer for moral judgment. The other treats it like a scheduling delay on the job of governing. Both moves will offend someone. But a public square that punches down at a man’s funeral while also using a death to score political points is less about truth and more about theater.
A final note on respect and politics
Politics is rough. Senators fight. Commentators shout. But common sense should still apply: families deserve a breathing space, and a dead man’s best moments should not be erased for a cheap headline. If Schmidt wanted to critique Graham, he could have waited a day and made the same points with less spectacle. And if President Trump wants to honor Graham, he can both push policy and acknowledge the human loss. Call it realism with a touch of decency — a small thing, but worth demanding in a loud, hungry media era.
