Adelle Nazarian, Senior Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy, joined CNN-News18’s “Explosive Weekend Debate” to discuss the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham and what it means for the effort to end the war in Ukraine and the conflict with Iran.
Asked whether Graham’s death would set back President Trump’s push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Nazarian said it would not. “At the end of the day, no government, no nation is only relying on one person,” she said. “The show must go on, and he should be honored. But I don’t think this is going to put a stopgap in successfully ending the Russia-Ukraine war or putting a stop to the conflict and the war with Iran.” She pointed to the depth of the administration’s bench, noting there are “plenty of competent people” in the President’s inner circle and outside it who can keep the effort on track. “If you rely on one person,” she added, “nothing would ever get done.”
On the Senator’s legacy, Nazarian placed Graham alongside Joseph Lieberman, John McCain, and the late Washington senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson as legislators able to reach across the aisle. She said his shoes would be difficult to fill, pointing to his access, his skill as a negotiator on the back end, and his standing as a trusted confidant of President Trump.
Adelle Nazarian is a Senior Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a Washington D.C. based foreign policy and defense think tank.
Watch the segment ▶ on X






