Newly released documentary footage shows the late Senator Lindsey Graham advocating for the United States war effort against Iran and offering military intervention to Israeli leaders before his death.
The videos, filmed over several years for the documentary project "Lindsey's Game," provide an inside look at Graham's private lobbying with President Donald Trump and international leaders after hostilities broke out on February 28, 2026.
Reports from CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Middle East Eye, and The Daily Beast detail the footage, which captures Graham speaking with staff, foreign dignitaries, and senior administration officials about Middle East strategy.
Graham's Push for Wider Conflict
In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Graham proposed expanding military support beyond Iran into Lebanon.
"I'm going to meet with the president this weekend. I'm going down to Doral," Graham said.
"I'm going to try to get him to join with y'all in Lebanon to maybe fly some with you.
Would you like that?"
Netanyahu cautioned against immediate involvement in Lebanon, urging focus on the main Iranian front.
"We're concentrating right now on Iran," Netanyahu said.
"If we tell Hezbollah that we're going all the way, we threaten them, but if we actually do it, then they have no reason not to go all the way against us.
That's not our interest."
In other clips, Graham expressed excitement about the military campaign and reflected on his long push for intervention.
"It's the best thing I've ever done. He loves blowing stuff up," Graham said, referring to Trump.
"He hasn't tweeted much at all. No drama.
He's been a great wartime president."
Graham also compared Trump and Netanyahu to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
"I said last night that Trump and Bibi are like Roosevelt and Churchill. They're the right two guys to confront this evil," Graham said.
During a phone conversation with former national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Graham outlined his expectations for the conflict.
"In three to four weeks, we should have them in a spot where they start losing control of some cities," Graham said.
"Get the Arabs more openly involved tomorrow, or by the end of the week, and then have almost irreversible momentum."
Doubts About White House Negotiators
The footage also captured Graham expressing doubt about White House negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
"I can't do it with Jared, and I can't do it with Witkoff. They're just too conflicted.
It's gotta be Rubio," Graham said, referring to Senator Marco Rubio.
In the weeks before his death from heart failure at age 71, Graham continued to voice concern over the war effort.
"He's letting this thing slip away," Graham said. "I got to go talk to him."
Prior to his passing, Graham made controversial comments about Gaza residents in a July 2024 social media statement, calling them "the most radicalized population on the planet who are taught to hate Jews from birth," according to Middle East Eye.
A White House official defended the administration's negotiation team, telling The Wall Street Journal, "Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are excellent dealmakers whose results speak for themselves."
Filmmaker Alex Holder said his team captured over 400 hours of access for the documentary and plans to release the project in the coming months.
"It was pretty remarkable, and we had this four-and-a-half-year period of just the most, really unparalleled access, to one of the most consequential politicians in the United States," Holder said.
Media figures, including Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, also criticized the negotiating team publicly.
"They're business guys. They have not been effective in Ukraine, not been effective in Gaza.
They have not been effective in this," Kilmeade said. "We have a State Department for a reason."
President Trump expressed frustration with stalled diplomatic talks, describing negotiations with Iran as "just a waste of time," as reported by The Daily Beast.
Memorial services for the late senator are scheduled in Washington, D. C.
, and South Carolina.
