South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, an early skeptic of President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, told THE WEEKLY STANDARD that his concerns over whether the nominee would be cozy with the Kremlin and weak on sanctions against Russia have been allayed.
Graham and Arizona senator John McCain announced their support for former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson in the run-up to a late January committee confirmation vote for the nominee. Their statement was measured, and said that the two senators still share concerns over Tillerson's past dealings with the Kremlin.
Ahead of a full Senate confirmation vote for Tillerson Wednesday, Graham appeared less skeptical, telling TWS that Tillerson knows the importance of maintaining sanctions against Russia.
"He understands that the sanctions imposed based on the illegal takeover of Crimea are justified, and there's no reason to lift them," Graham said. "Quite frankly, there's reason to impose new sanctions."
The former oil exec had criticized those sanctions in 2014. Graham early on questioned Tillerson's long-standing business relationship with the Kremlin, including the Order of Friendship that he received from Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2013.
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07.20.2025