What to Know
Given that Senator Lindsey Graham was once a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and now seems to be one of his biggest fans, some people have questioned whether he’s being blackmailed. Graham, a 70-year-old Republican who has advocated for “traditional marriage” but has never gotten married himself, has also been dealing with rumors about his sexuality for years now. Recently, someone asked Graham a rather blunt question: “Hey, Lindsey, why don’t you just admit that you’re gay and then people won’t blackmail you anymore?”
A clip of the interaction has been circulating on social media.
NowThis Impact identified the person who asked the question as journalist Patrick Hawley. The clip was also shared on Reddit, where some people agreed that it does, indeed, seem like Graham is being blackmailed or something (though he’s certainly not the only former Trump critic who now seems to love him). However, others argued that if Graham really is being blackmailed, it’s probably over something far worse than his sexuality.
While one Redditor pointed out that “having a secret forbidden or criminal life just makes them easy prey for blackmailers,” someone else speculated, “Whatever dirt they have on him has got to be so much worse than him simply being gay.”
Graham has denied the rumors about his sexuality.
Though there’s nothing wrong with being single, it’s still stigmatized and quite uncommon among high-ranking politicians. And considering what the Republican party (and Graham himself) tends to advocate for, Graham’s relationship status has gotten a lot of attention over the years, leading to accusations that he might be gay.
He addressed the rumors in 2010 during an interview with The New York Times, saying, “I know it’s really gonna upset a lot of gay men — I’m sure hundreds of ’em are gonna be jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge — but I ain’t available. I ain’t gay. Sorry.”
He also spoke up about his sexuality in 2018 after comedian Chelsea Handler made a controversial joke about it. At the time, she wrote, “If you’re wondering why Republicans took a sick day today, it’s probably because it’s #NationalComingOutDay. Looking at you @LindseyGrahamSC.”
Speaking to TMZ (per People), Graham addressed Handler’s comment. He said, “It’s a free country; she can say what she wants to say, I don’t care. I don’t think much about what she says at all.” Then, he also added, “Number one, she knows zero about me. To the extent that it matters, I’m not gay.”
Conservatives have also tried to say that Graham is gay.
Interesting. Lindsey Graham all of a sudden wants to talk about women. 🧐
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) November 5, 2025
HOLD THE LINE
Right-wing political activist Laura Loomer made comments about Graham’s sexuality in a series of X posts, per The Advocate. In 2024, she wrote, “Lindsey Graham has never been loyal to President Trump. When is Lindsey coming out of the closet? We all know you’re gay, Lindsey… and that’s ok.”
Then, in a separate post, she added, “There’s no reason why Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, needs to hide the fact that he’s a gay man. Come on, Lindsey. I like men too. No need to hide. I want you to relieve yourself of your toxic closeted anger. It’s 2024. Nobody needs to hide that they’re gay anymore.”
In 2025, Congresswoman Nancy Mace seemingly hinted at Graham’s sexuality in a post on social media. After Mace lashed out at TSA officers at the Charleston International Airport, Graham defended the TSA officers. Mace then took to social media to write, “Interesting. Lindsey Graham all of a sudden wants to talk about women.” Yikes.
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