Lindsey Graham was born in Central, South Carolina, and earned a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a military lawyer and continues to serve in the Air Force Reserve. Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 and then to the U.S. Senate in 2002, where he has served since. He was a close ally of the late Senator John McCain and is one of the Senate's most visible foreign policy voices.
Graham serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, and has been a prominent figure in debates over military spending, immigration, and judicial nominations. His foreign policy views have emphasized a strong American military presence abroad and robust support for U.S. allies. Over his Senate career Graham has evolved from a frequent critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign to one of his most consistent and prominent defenders.