The View Co-Hosts Condemn Posts Celebrating Lindsey Graham's Death, Cite Family Harm

Q: With a key Senate seat now vacant, what is the official process for selecting a successor?

In South Carolina, the governor officially makes a temporary appointment, and voters later choose the long-term successor through an election process set by state law and the 17th Amendment. Because Lindsey Graham’s seat is now vacant, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim senator to serve immediately. That appointee holds the seat until an elected successor is certified and sworn in. The U.S. Senate does not pick the replacement; it seats the person chosen under constitutional and state procedures. South Carolina law then triggers an election process to fill the seat more permanently. Since Graham had already been running for another term, the state is expected to hold a special primary to choose a replacement nominee, followed by a runoff if no candidate wins a majority. That nominee would then appear on the November ballot against other qualified candidates. More broadly, this system reflects the 17th Amendment, which requires Senate vacancies to be filled by election but allows states to let governors make temporary appointments in the meantime. South Carolina is one of the states that gives its governor broad discretion to name an interim senator, without a general same-party requirement. In practical terms, the process is two-track: an immediate gubernatorial appointment to avoid a prolonged vacancy, followed by an election so voters make the final choice.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 13

Ana Navarro and Sara Haines used Monday's "The View" to denounce online posts celebrating Sen. Lindsey Graham's death, urging "normal decency" toward grieving relatives.
Navarro said the dead cannot read the attacks but Graham's family can, pointing specifically to his sister, whom he adopted at 13 after their parents died.
The hosts still criticized Graham's political legacy, with Navarro saying there was a different Graham before and after Donald Trump and Sunny Hostin calling him a "political chameleon."
Online reactions ranged from harsh criticism to outright celebration, including "good riddance" posts from Ana Kasparian and Nick Fuentes and a podcast remark from Rick Wilson calling his death "karmic comfort."