SEKULOW

Narrator: On today's show we discuss the passing of Lindsey Graham and the vigils being held by Iranians throughout the world. Keeping you informed and engaged. Now, more than ever. This is Sekulow. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments or call 1-800-684-3110. And now your host, Logan Sekulow.

Logan Sekulow: Welcome to Sekulow for your Monday. We're going to be taking your calls at 1-800-684-3110, 1-800-684-3110. As we are obviously covering and mourning the loss of Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been a friend of this show and a friend of our families for many, many, many years and obviously a a very loud figure in today's political landscape and has been for decades. At the same time, there have been really interesting developments including tributes from around the world.

Logan Sekulow: And I mean that literally. You have right now, just a few hours ago, a candle-light vigil being held last night in London in front of with members of people from Iran, from the original Iran, who were there paying tribute to Lindsey Graham. Dozens of people in front of the U.S. Embassy with the Lion and Sun flag of Iran paying tribute to this man who had become one of their biggest allies and one of their biggest friends. And I think we need to remember that when you start thinking about the legacy of Lindsey Graham. Regardless of what your feed may want to tell you, this is someone who was an international statesman, who was doing things to protect American interests, but also for the good of a lot of people around the world.

Logan Sekulow: And when you have moments like this, when you are we have such a divided world, and you have someone like this pass away so tragically and quickly. And you have this happen like if you told me that all these options could be for how people are going to respond. If you were to tell me there was going to be an Iranian led vigil in support or in praise of their friend Lindsey Graham. And again, we're talking about the current, we're not talking about the current Iranian regime, we're talking about the historic Iranian regime. People that were from the pre-revolution. This is what's happening right now around the world. I think that's a cool moment that we need to keep an eye on. Phone lines are open for you at 1-800-684-3110.

Logan Sekulow: My dad, Jay Sekulow is going to be joining us. Jordan, my brother will be joining us from Washington D.C. and Will in studio.

Will Haynes: That's right. And when you think about this, this is someone that the ACLJ had worked closely with for decades, really. This is an individual when you think about being in the Senate and how fervently he fought for the unborn, a strong pro-life advocate in in the Senate, someone that we could rely on and that we could work with in the Senate for pro-life work that we did here at the ACLJ. As well as his support of Israel in a foreign policy that wanted to see very Reagan-esque peace through strength in in a way that is is divisive even amongst the Republican Party these days. But American leadership, he knew was crucial to a peaceful world. This is someone who served for decades in the Air Force. And once again, would come on this broadcast, would talk about the issues, was very close with the ACLJ team and a lot of the work we did, he saw the fruit of.

Logan Sekulow: Well, what I will say is a true statesman, the fact that you can see how many tributes came in not just from Republican leaders, but from Democrats who said, "You know what? We disagreed on just about everything, but he's actually someone we could work with." He's actually someone who we'd talk to, who would make us laugh, who would didn't take things personally, would actually treat things how Washington D.C. really was built to be treated. And it was nice to see that there was some humanity left in people. I mean, I looked back just a few months ago to when Tulsi Gabbard, our friend and colleague Tulsi Gabbard, when she had to step down from her position as the DNI because her husband was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. And you had people like Adam Schiff taking those moments to then go after her still. To see some human humanity coming from the right and the left. On the passing of Lindsey Graham.

Logan Sekulow: Now again, I'm sure the comments said otherwise. More from human beings I'd say, more from bots and all of those things online, more of the comments. We actually the people that worked with them were people that universally seemed to enjoy working with him whether they agreed with him or not. Phone lines are open at 1-800-684-3110. We're going to continue talking about this also, these vigils from Iranians in London for Lindsey Graham, because I think there's some confusion over what's happening there. I see in the comments, I understand because it's a headline that kind of messes with your head when you read it. But remember we're talking about a very different political figure around the world. We'll be right back.

Narrator: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are the words of our forefathers written in the Declaration of Independence. They are the cornerstone on which our constitutional Republic was built. And over the past 250 years, we have formed a great nation. A nation the world has looked to for guidance, for support, and for protection. This month we celebrate our liberty, but that liberty is fragile and requires every American to defend it. That's why this month we've launched the ACLJ Liberty Drive. In honor of America's birthday, we're redoubling our commitment to continue fighting against any attacks that would strip us of that freedom. We owe it to our forefathers. You can join the fight right now through our ACLJ Liberty Drive. Go to ACLJ.org/liberty today and have your tax deductible gift doubled. Dollar for dollar to enable the ACLJ to fight to defend our God-given liberties. We've witnessed monumental legal victories from defending the 14th Amendment and protecting our sacred American right to vote, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and standing up for the religious liberty of our kids and seniors. But even with the many historic wins we've achieved, the battle is far from over. The attacks on our constitutionally protected rights persist. Countless unborn babies remain in jeopardy, and across the globe, innocent Christians are being targeted and killed across this country and around the world. This fight isn't just the ACLJ's, it's all of ours. It belongs to every American who wants to preserve the values and beliefs on which this nation was founded. None of the victories we've won would have been possible without the unwavering support of ACLJ members and ACLJ champions. It's been an honor to fight for you all these years. Join us in fighting for freedom. Have your donation doubled at ACLJ.org/freedom.

Logan Sekulow: Welcome back to Sekulow. We'll be connecting with my dad, Jay Sekulow as well. Will Hagens in studio. Of course, we are talking about the passing, the really untimely and shocking passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, again, who's been a friend to this broadcast, a friend of the ACLJ and the work we have done for so many years.

Logan Sekulow: And again, I know that the comments that came in sometimes can get a little aggressive in terms of Senator Graham, whenever we would have him on, whenever we discuss him, especially if we ever say something positively about him. However, I want you to understand that he has been someone that we had worked with so directly for many years and really that my dad and my brother had worked with pretty much every week. And someone that was clearly working up until the last moments of his life here on Earth.

Logan Sekulow: My dad, Jay Sekulow is joining us right now. Of course, we are discussing this. And Dad, we're even saying we discuss this in currently in London or last night in London, they were having vigils in front of the U.S. Embassy with Iranians, essentially Iranian refugees, families, the old Iran leading a vigil for Lindsey Graham because he is somebody who though controversial maybe for even some Americans was highly praised in his work around the world.

Jay Sekulow: Well, and if you want to start here with the United States, we have the strongest and most conservative Supreme Court we've had in my lifetime. And I've litigated since the 1980s at the Supreme Court and we've got a case there right now. And you could thank Lindsey Graham for the current Supreme Court of the United States. Of course, you thank President Trump as well. But the fact is that Lindsey Graham and his advocacy for these judicial nominees are the reason we have a conservative Supreme Court today.

Will Haynes: Well, and you also think that someone who understood the the the importance of the office and the role of the Senate, taking the advice and consent role very seriously as a senator. But also being able to to work with his colleagues, being able to find ways using the Senate, the mechanisms of the Senate to move things forward, like judicial nominees, something that was very important, we know for him as well as for the ACLJ. And as well as his his role in the foreign policy role of the Senate as well, just a a real statesman and someone that will be missed. But really also a part of that old guard that the Senate, I don't know there is another Lindsey Graham that understands the mechanisms of the Senate in the way that he did that's currently serving.

Jay Sekulow: He was a really historian of the Senate. He understood how the Senate worked, he understood the Senate rules. He also understood clearly the role of the United States. He believed the United States on a global scale can do good for the world. And that's one of his key motivations. He was just dealing right before he passed, of course, with Russia and Ukraine. But he was also negotiating with Saudi Arabia for the recognition and establishment of formal ties to Israel. This was one of his life goals. And he was a passionate advocate for America here in the United States and abroad. And I want to say this.

Jay Sekulow: I I worked with him starting when he was a congressman in early 2000. And Lindsey and I, and Lindsey and the ACLJ have had a very close relationship. Logan mentioned talking to him every week. I just spoke to him a couple weeks ago before he left for his trip. And this is a tragic loss for his family, of course, and a loss for the United States. He was a scholar, he was a statesman. He was our friend.

Jay Sekulow: And I I just want to emphasize the good that he did for this country, especially as we look at in our realm in judicial nominations, is unprecedented in our history. He brokered so many deals to get conservative judges confirmed. He saved the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh. So Lindsey was passionate about American foreign policy too, as you know, and a big defender of Israel. And while they may not be popular with some these days, it's popular with me and it's popular with the ACLJ.

Jay Sekulow: And we saw his work firsthand in bringing stability to the Middle East. He was a defender of the president. I've worked very closely, of course, with him on so many issues. We spent a lot of time in the White House together. We also spent a lot of time on the Senate floor together during the impeachment and Lindsey Graham was a friend, patriot, and a leader. The best of American political leadership.

Logan Sekulow: Before we let you go, Dad, I did also want to give you an opportunity too, because not only we say all these positive things about working with him side-by-side, all the issues that we certainly agreed with him on. You also have an outpouring of Democrats, people that worked on the other side of the aisle, saying how much they enjoyed working with him, his humor, his wit, and the fact that he could keep things not personal, that it wasn't like it is today, where it feels like typically you have to have, this vitriol towards the other side, towards the other person. And rarely do we see a passing of a political leader or any kind of tragedy that happens with a political leader.

Logan Sekulow: Or with somebody we mentioned that Adam Schiff's response to when Tulsi Gabbard's husband was diagnosed with cancer and how it was disturbing and how we've lost a little bit of humanity. You saw a glimmer of humanity in the fact that even the Democrats he worked alongside with, which I'm sure was shocking to a lot of their base, came out and said this was someone that they loved and loved working with.

Jay Sekulow: Well, that's because he understood that politics is the art of the possible. It's not the art of the perfect. And what you have in a situation with Lindsey Graham, he was able to reach across party lines to to move the ball further, ultimately to serve the purposes of a conservative constitutional position.

Jay Sekulow: But he cut deals for judges. I remember, I mean I think about the current chief judge of the Court of Appeals for the 11th circuit, Bill Pryor, and I can think of a whole list of them, where we worked so closely with Lindsey Graham. Of course, the Supreme Court nominees. But he he was principled, but he did have a great sense of humor. And he's going to be missed. He's one of the he was one of the good guys. I said that to mom yesterday. He is one of the good guys. We lost a friend.

Jay Sekulow: You know, the country lost a senator, the representatives of the people in South Carolina lost a senator, we've lost a statesman, we've also lost a friend here. And he served this country honorably in the military as a Judge Advocate General, a military lawyer. He was also a military judge. He served in active combat zones. He loved the country and what you're seeing is the country loved him.

Jay Sekulow: There will always be the naysayers, but I'm I'm tuning that out to the reality that this was a guy that reshaped the judiciary in the United States and helped our foreign policy on a global scale. So,

Logan Sekulow: It was actually nice to see I had talked to him now I'll miss him. It was actually nice to see his response. Of course, a lot of us will miss him, but you guys both obviously you and Jordan both worked with him directly very often.

Logan Sekulow: We also know for those who are following it, they will make an announcement later today on who will be the replacement likely and what's looking like it will actually be Lindsey Graham's sister temporarily, obviously until next term there will be an election coming up here in a few months.

Will Haynes: That's right. And we can actually go over that for folks that that are interested, that want to know how that process works because Senator Graham was up for re-election. This would I believe be his fifth term if he were re-elected in the Senate. And so it it it's a calendar now that you're running up against November.

Will Haynes: But what it does appear is that Governor Henry McMaster will be announcing today at 4:00 PM Eastern Time who that person will be, who will be filling the seat, because that is once again the governor when a senator is no longer in office, whether they resign or they pass away. Normally, it varies by state law, but the governor or someone within that state can appoint to serve out the rest of a term.

Will Haynes: That's what we're seeing here. It appears that will be announced at 4:00 PM Eastern, as well as the president, President Trump has said that he would like to see Lindsey Graham's sister, who is very close with, if you know the history. Their parents died when they were young, both of them within like 18 months of each other. And Lindsey Graham effectively raised his sister, so they were very close. And that there is been a call for from the president that it be her to be in the interim.

Logan Sekulow: To hold that seat. It also it holds the staff together. It it has continuity until the election. And then it also isn't a political kingmaker system where the governor is then picking who is the front runner in a primary.

Logan Sekulow: If anything, that's a nice tribute for a few months till people can get everything together before the election. I think that's a great idea.

Logan Sekulow: Thanks my dad for joining us. Jordan's going to be joining us coming up a little bit later. Mike Pompeo will be joining us. We are going to cover some other topics as well. There is some other breaking news items that are happening. And the ACLJ rolls on. Again, Senator Graham was a long time friend and we appreciate his life. We appreciate the legacy that he left and we will continue to talk about that. A lot of those issues he cared about, a lot of the issues that we care about here, we continue to fight for each and every day.

Logan Sekulow: We are in the middle of our ACLJ Liberty Drive. I want you to be a part of it today while donations are doubled throughout the rest of the month. So if you can give, scan on the QR code you see right now or just go to ACLJ.org or ACLJ.org/liberty. You can have your gift doubled. Again, if you give $25, it becomes $50. We appreciate you doing that.

Logan Sekulow: We're going to continue on like I said with other topics as well as the ACLJ work continues on, including what's happening in Iran. I believe Mike Pompeo is joining us next.

Will Haynes: Mike Pompeo is joining us in the next segment to talk one about the news that we are covering today, the loss of Senator Graham, but as well, there is some news he wanted to update people on when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz in Iran and some things that the president has announced over the weekend. So we will be asking him about that when we get back from this break.

Logan Sekulow: Yeah, and again, my brother also be joining us a little bit later, so don't go anywhere. Phone lines are open for you at 1-800-684-3110. Got a full bank open, we just opened up the calls. 1-800-684-3110. If you want to be on the air today, whether it is about what's happening in Iran, whether it's talking about Senator Graham, whether it's any of the topics the ACLJ covers, we'll get to you. 1-800-684-3110.

Logan Sekulow: And again, go to ACLJ.org right now, be a part of our Liberty Drive today.

Narrator: We've witnessed monumental legal victories from defending the 14th Amendment and protecting our sacred American right to vote, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and standing up for the religious liberty of our kids and seniors. But even with the many historic wins we've achieved, the battle is far from over. The attacks on our constitutionally protected rights persist. Countless unborn babies remain in jeopardy, and across the globe, innocent Christians are being targeted and killed across this country and around the world. This fight isn't just the ACLJ's, it's all of ours. It belongs to every American who wants to preserve the values and beliefs on which this nation was founded. None of the victories we've won would have been possible without the unwavering support of ACLJ members and ACLJ champions. It's been an honor to fight for you all these years. Join us in fighting for freedom. Have your donation doubled at ACLJ.org/freedom. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are the words of our forefathers written in the Declaration of Independence. They are the cornerstone on which our constitutional Republic was built. And over the past 250 years, we have formed a great nation. A nation the world has looked to for guidance, for support, and for protection. This month we celebrate our liberty, but that liberty is fragile and requires every American to defend it. That's why this month we've launched the ACLJ Liberty Drive. In honor of America's birthday, we're redoubling our commitment to continue fighting against any attacks that would strip us of that freedom. We owe it to our forefathers. You can join the fight right now through our ACLJ Liberty Drive. Go to ACLJ.org/liberty today and have your tax deductible gift doubled. Dollar for dollar to enable the ACLJ to fight to defend our God-given liberties.

Logan Sekulow: Welcome back to Sekulow. We're going to take your calls at 1-800-684-3110. We heard from my dad. Now we're going to hear from Secretary Pompeo.

Logan Sekulow: Secretary Pompeo, obviously, we're going to get into what's going on, some of the updates in Iran, all of that, but then you even have these vigils happening in London with Iranians out front actually, who are there, essentially families that have not been in Iran for many years, having a a vigil for Lindsey Graham. And here's a moment that we all did not expect we were going to do this show this morning, that this is what we were going to be talking about here. Because we're all shocked obviously by the news of Senator Graham's passing. You wrote an op-ed for the New York Post. I just want to get your thoughts on the days like today.

Mike Pompeo: Yeah. No, I I guess I'm unsurprised that many in the world who understood or understand the difference between good and evil are feeling very much a loss, a whole in our hearts today. I've known Senator Graham for goodness, I've known him for probably 15 years. He had become a friend. When I was a brand new member of Congress, he was so kind to me. He was a great assistance to me when I was a Secretary of State and CIA Director. But everyone who knew him, right? He was always fun to be around. Those pictures are showing, right? He's always he's always smiling. But this was a serious political actor. This was someone who cared deeply about the United States of America, who took his job so seriously and worked so diligently. He'll he'll be missed. He he knew he knew how to make America great again and worked at it all his life.

Will Haynes: Mr. Secretary, you even bring up that how he was a great help to you when you were a freshman member of Congress. I mean, we remember those days. You joined this broadcast back in the early days as a congressman from Kansas. And I I think that's also a testament. You even see from people on the other side of the aisle. There was a tribute by Cory Booker, who went and approached him when he was a junior senator, had just gotten into office and said, you know, I I want to work on something with you. And he said, well, wait till after my primary, it's a little contentious. I can't be seen talking to you. But the willingness to to listen to people or also shepherd them and regardless of their politics, be there as a figure, had a leader in the institutions of government, something that he knew so well. I think is also going to be something that we greatly miss here. When we see this tragic passing and untimely passing. But it's the institutional knowledge that he had and his willingness to work with whether it be young congressmen or young senators in the process of government.

Mike Pompeo: You know, it's so easy to tear down these institutions, to talk bad about Congress or talk bad about the Senate. Senator Graham never did that. He would joke about it, but he understood that these institutions mattered, that our founders, but he took deeply that idea that our founders had it right. And he so loved being a part of it. He wasn't, Lindsey could find a camera for sure. But it wasn't all about Lindsey. It was always about the things he cared about and the things he truly believed mattered to America.

Mike Pompeo: He and I, frankly on Iran, we were we were brothers in arms. We understood this threat from the Islamic Republic in exactly the same way. But there were other issues we didn't always see eye to eye on. But he was always gracious, always kind and always willing to sort of listen, take on Mike's views of the world and have an intellectual debate about it. And I think that's why you see folks from a broad political spectrum saying, we're going to miss that set, that voice, that concept on Capitol Hill. I hope others will take that on and see how much Senator Graham is appreciated and begin to behave in a way that he did. Always fierce in defending the things he believed in, but always caring so deeply about the institutions and about our country.

Will Haynes: Well, and you even bring up the fact that you and he shared a very much a similar vision for what the threat is and in the acknowledgement from the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as other threat factors to the United States and national security issues. But I I think that is one thing that will miss also is the fact that he was so close with the president. And it wasn't always that their views of foreign policy were in lockstep, but they were very close. He would and you saw through this, the the jousting that maybe would take place between a senior senator from South Carolina as well as the President of the United States that many times you ended up with better foreign policy because of the contrasting views and that friendship.

Will Haynes: I think that's something that we also will miss in a world that's that's turning away even within the party sometimes of a lot of the the concepts of peace through strength and that Reagan-esque style that Senator Graham had.

Mike Pompeo: I don't think there's any doubt about that. I've seen some on the left showing some of the comments that Senator Graham made during President Trump's campaigns for president, not always not always the kindest kindest in the sense of, he had a view. Senator Graham had a view of how the world works and how evil works. And when he would see the president behaving in a way that was different from that, he was he was unapologetic in defending his view. But man, he could have gone full like so many did. He could have gone full Trump derangement syndrome and just been an adversary. But he knew America mattered too much. And he knew President Trump had the capacity to get to a place where everyone could say, yep, that's the right outcome and you you you nailed it. As a result of what Senator Graham did alongside President Trump, my my son and his wife and my grandson are safer today because of that. And I think in the end that effectiveness, that ability to actually deliver on the things he believed in will be the true legacy for Senator Graham.

Logan Sekulow: Someone else who served this country in the military beforehand with the Air Force, spent a lot of time beyond even just the political realm.

Logan Sekulow: I think for you, Secretary Pompeo, it's something that I would say that I was, you don't want to say, excited to see, but there was some sort of a breath of fresh air that came in, seeing that there were tributes coming in from both sides of the aisle here. And that is so rare. Right now, we are living in a time where that is you don't see even Democrat leaders or Republican leaders saying something positive or telling a warm story about someone on the other side.

Logan Sekulow: It's sad that that's not the case. But there was a glimmer, a glimmer of hope, if you will, when I saw some of these tributes coming in. Now don't read the comments because you're going to have people who are crazy on all sides. But if you just looked at the people who actually worked with him, you saw this united front of going, I mean, even if they had to caveat with, we never agreed on anything, but at least, again, he'd make me laugh, we enjoyed working together. That is how this is all supposed to be.

Mike Pompeo: I think that's right. And you know, in each of those, I think you're exactly right. In each of those, not only sometimes they caveat by saying we didn't agree on everything, and sometimes they'd say they made him laugh, but it was more than that. They would also say, he worked with us. He tried to listen to our views. And he was excoriated, right? He ended up in a bad place on immigration and with some inside of our party. He voted for Democrat nominees to the United States Supreme Court. So he was criticized for those things. But he was someone who took on board and he took these institutions seriously and so, I think these kind words go even deeper than the fact that he was able to bring joy and cheer. It was he was thoughtful and decent and good and was prepared to fight on the things that really mattered and find common ground on things where it was possible to do so.

Mike Pompeo: I hope we'll I hope we'll see more of that. It's not about giving up the things you really believe in. It's about staring at the problem set and saying, how do we get to the best solution?

Logan Sekulow: I always found that to be interesting. Thank you, Secretary Pompeo for joining us. But he was one of those people who would say, you know, elections have consequences. The president would put up a Supreme Court justice. Are they qualified, whether I agreed with them or not. As long as they were qualified, they felt like they did matter. It didn't matter necessarily his political point of view. And I thought felt that to be something we should all be thinking about at least when they're making those calls. So I appreciate it. Thank you, Secretary Pompeo for being a part of the conversation today. We are going to continue on with the second half hour of the show. We're all going to address some other topics as well.

Logan Sekulow: I know not all of you are tuning in just to hear about this. But we have people on staff, whether that's Secretary Pompeo or my dad, or my brother, who worked with this man for decades on a weekly basis. Of course, we're going to have a minute here where we're going to spend talking about.

Logan Sekulow: Be a part of the ACLJ today as well, as part of our Liberty Drive. You can do it all donations are doubled today at ACLJ.org/liberty. Scan the QR code you see. We'll be back second half hour coming right up.

Narrator: Over the past 250 years, we have formed a great nation. A nation the world has looked to for guidance, for support, and for protection. That's why this month we've launched the ACLJ Liberty Drive. We're redoubling our commitment to continue fighting against any attacks that would strip us of that freedom. We owe it to our forefathers. You can join the fight right now through our ACLJ Liberty Drive. Go to ACLJ.org/liberty today and have your tax deductible gift doubled.