The South Carolina senator was once incredibly close with the McCain family, with the former “The View” co-host previously referring to him as her “uncle.”

As cardinals prepared to elect a new pope at the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis in April 2025, a rumor began to spread that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, supported President Donald Trump's bid for the papacy.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) joked Tuesday that President Donald Trump should be the next Pope as the Vatican looks to select a new leader after Pope Francis’s death. Graham’s remarks came in response to Trump saying that he’d “like to be Pope.