The Megyn Kelly Show - Sen. Lindsey Graham Dead at 71 as Replacement Scramble Begins, Missouri Camp Rescue： AM Update 7⧸13

00:00:00.000 Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Monday, July 13th, 2026, and this is your AM

00:00:08.360 Update. He sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired. We thought we might even

00:00:14.300 meet today. And then that was it. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina unexpectedly passing

00:00:20.440 away on Saturday night. Mr. Graham's death narrowing the Republican majority in the Senate

00:00:26.020 as South Carolina readies for the fast-moving process to fill his seat.

00:00:31.500 When the waters came up, campers, cars, they just got swept away.

00:00:37.080 More than 200 children and counselors airlifted from a Missouri summer camp

00:00:41.740 as historic flooding triggers hundreds of rescues across the state.

00:00:46.160 And former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly planning to divorce her

00:00:50.580 cross-dressing husband, according to her mom.

00:00:53.900 All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

00:01:23.900 at the expense of everyday Americans.

00:01:27.200 Credit cards can keep your payments secure

00:01:28.980 and provide rewards that families use

00:01:31.300 to help make everyday purchases much more affordable.

00:01:34.860 We all love that.

00:01:36.360 The Electronic Payments Coalition says

00:01:38.120 the Durbin Marshall mandates would let corporate megastores

00:01:41.100 cut corners on credit card processing,

00:01:43.520 routing transactions over cheaper, untested networks

00:01:46.520 with weaker security and fewer protections.

00:01:49.800 Find out more about this whole situation

00:01:51.620 at guardyourcard.com

00:01:53.220 and consider telling Congress to guard your card.

00:02:00.400 U.S. Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham,

00:02:03.600 dying Saturday evening after what his office describes as, quote,

00:02:07.140 a brief and sudden illness.

00:02:09.400 The longtime Republican politician was just 71 years old.

00:02:13.680 Emergency crews responding shortly before 8.30 p.m. Saturday night

00:02:17.580 to a report of chest pains at Senator Graham's Washington, D.C., home,

00:02:21.900 a few blocks south of the U.S. Capitol.

00:02:24.940 Dispatch audio indicating crews initially found the door locked, receiving no answer,

00:02:30.380 forcing their way inside before reporting a cardiac arrest and beginning CPR.

00:02:35.640 Mr. Graham's office releasing a statement last night indicating the senator suffered

00:02:39.560 an aortic dissection caused by underlying cardiovascular disease.

00:02:44.680 In other words, the senator suffering a tear in the inner layer of his heart's main artery.

00:02:50.440 Town Hall reporter Dustin Grage citing a South Carolina source who claims

00:02:54.660 Graham struggled with blood pressure problems dating back to his 40s

00:02:58.540 and noting the senator's father died from cardiac arrest at 69.

00:03:03.860 Senator Graham returning to Washington Saturday after meeting one day earlier with

00:03:08.200 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during Graham's 10th visit to Ukraine

00:03:13.100 since the war with Russia began in February 2022.

00:03:17.460 He was scheduled to appear yesterday morning on NBC's Meet the Press,

00:03:21.780 President Trump calling into the program instead.

00:03:24.900 What makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night sometime in, you know, the early evening,

00:03:30.840 maybe in the sevens, and he called and he said, we're all set for the Save America Act. He was

00:03:37.140 pushing the Save America Act like crazy. He got back, said he just landed from Ukraine. I said,

00:03:43.160 that's a long trip to make. He sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired. I had

00:03:49.080 a right to be. He was a worker. He was really a worker. But he sounded great, actually. He actually

00:03:57.340 said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the Save America Act. And I said, well, we're going to get

00:04:02.920 it done, Lindsay. We're going to get it done. I'll see you soon. We thought we might even meet today.

00:04:07.240 and then that was it. The two recently becoming close political allies after beginning as bitter

00:04:13.720 rivals. Senator Graham turning into one of the president's most enthusiastic defenders,

00:04:18.900 frequently playing golf with him and earning a reputation on Capitol Hill as the Trump whisperer.

00:04:24.400 Their alliance reaching a defining moment during Brett Kavanaugh's 2018 Supreme Court

00:04:29.420 confirmation fight. Christine Blasey Ford accusing Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her

00:04:34.880 at a gathering when the two were teenagers.

00:04:37.820 Kavanaugh categorically denying the allegation,

00:04:40.740 Ford unable to identify the precise date or location,

00:04:44.320 while the people she placed at the gathering did not corroborate her account.

00:04:48.300 Kavanaugh's nomination appearing to hang in the balance

00:04:50.640 as several Republican senators remained undecided.

00:04:54.880 Senator Graham then unleashing a furious attack on Senate Democrats

00:04:58.980 during Kavanaugh's hearing.

00:05:00.680 if you wanted an fbi investigation you could have come to us what you want to do is destroy

00:05:06.980 this guy's life hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020 this is the most unethical sham

00:05:15.260 since i've been in politics and if you really wanted to know the truth you sure as hell wouldn't 0.98

00:05:21.960 have done what you've done to this guy are you a gang rapist no i cannot imagine what you and 0.98

00:05:29.720 your family have gone through. Boy, y'all want power. God, I hope you never get it. I hope the 0.98

00:05:35.080 American people can see through this sham. God, I hate to say it because these have been my friends.

00:05:41.240 But let me tell you, when it comes to this, you're looking for a fair process. You came to the wrong

00:05:47.140 town at the wrong time, my friend. To my Republican colleagues, if you vote no, you're

00:05:54.420 legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics.

00:05:59.980 The fiery defense helping change the political momentum,

00:06:03.620 rallying Republicans around Kavanaugh as the confirmation fight reached its final stage.

00:06:08.740 Kavanaugh ultimately confirmed by a vote of 50 to 48.

00:06:12.120 The senator's foreign policy views creating a much deeper divide between him and the MAGA movement.

00:06:18.640 Senator Graham remaining one of Washington's most committed interventionists,

00:06:22.860 repeatedly urging President Trump toward greater American involvement in the Middle East,

00:06:28.000 that push becoming especially aggressive over Iran.

00:06:31.980 The senator spending months pressing President Trump to authorize military strikes,

00:06:36.800 dismissing advisers who favored restraint as the, quote,

00:06:39.960 non-entanglement crowd in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

00:06:43.840 The senator continuing to call for military escalation,

00:06:46.900 even as many Trump supporters warned against dragging the U.S.

00:06:50.600 into another open-ended conflict in the Middle East.

00:06:54.260 Senator Graham, serving more than three decades in Congress,

00:06:57.580 tributes pouring in from around the world and across the aisle.

00:07:01.520 Senator Cory Booker, Democrat from New Jersey,

00:07:04.420 posting a video to social media.

00:07:06.620 One of the White House negotiators during that first negotiation 0.97

00:07:09.240 told me that Lindsey Graham was like an unguided missile. 1.00

00:07:14.140 That God, you never knew which way he was going to go, 0.94

00:07:16.860 whether he would come back and hit you.

00:07:19.320 But when he was aligned, when he would be in the right place at the right time,

00:07:24.640 man, he could get things done that other people couldn't

00:07:27.100 and bring a lot of light and new possibilities to the efforts.

00:07:31.080 I am stunned at Lindsey Graham's death,

00:07:33.580 but I pray that he is reunited with his friend, John McCain,

00:07:38.120 that they both are experiencing God's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

00:07:43.460 My prayers are with his family and all those who loved and cherished him.

00:07:47.300 I will miss my perhaps most unexpected friend in the Senate and someone with whom I got some good

00:07:55.580 things done. A former Air Force lawyer, Senator Graham remained in the Air Force Reserve while

00:08:02.280 holding office before retiring as a colonel in 2015. South Carolina voters first electing him

00:08:08.220 to the U.S. House in 1994, then sending him to the Senate in 2002. Mr. Graham winning the Republican

00:08:15.040 nomination for a fifth Senate term just last month, defeating five primary challengers.

00:08:22.000 The death of Senator Graham leaving South Carolina with an open Senate seat further

00:08:26.440 narrowing the already tight Republican majority in Washington. Republicans now hold 52 seats in

00:08:32.840 the Senate. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announcing last night that doctors have

00:08:38.100 not yet cleared him to return to the Senate floor following his hospitalization last month,

00:08:43.240 although he does intend to return as soon as he's able. His continued absence,

00:08:48.780 leaving Republicans with only 51 senators expected to vote when the chamber returns

00:08:53.620 from recess this week. The reduced ranks, creating an immediate challenge for several

00:08:58.500 parts of President Trump's agenda. Among the first major tests, the nomination of acting

00:09:03.720 Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the DOJ. Blanche's confirmation hearing

00:09:08.940 set for Wednesday, with Democrats expected to fiercely oppose him. Senator Graham has been one

00:09:14.380 of Blanche's strongest supporters on the Judiciary Committee, making his absence especially significant

00:09:20.060 just days before the hearing. Meantime, in South Carolina, Senator Graham had recently won the

00:09:25.840 Republican primary and was seeking another full term as senator in November. His death now triggering

00:09:32.160 two separate processes, appointing a temporary replacement to his seat and selecting a new

00:09:38.420 GOP nominee for the general election. State law allows Republican Governor Henry McMaster to

00:09:44.340 appoint an interim senator to serve through the end of Senator Graham's current term,

00:09:48.900 which ends in January 2027. Governor McMaster offering no immediate timeline for that decision.

00:09:55.940 The race for the next full six-year term moving on a much faster track.

00:10:01.420 Republicans interested in replacing Senator Graham will have one week to enter the race

00:10:05.600 beginning July 21st. A special Republican primary scheduled for August 11th, followed by an August

00:10:12.660 25th runoff if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote. The eventual nominee advancing to the

00:10:19.460 November general election as the heavy favorite to keep the seat in GOP hands. Several prominent

00:10:25.560 South Carolina Republicans already emerging as possible candidates, including Congressman

00:10:30.680 Russell Frye and Congressman Ralph Norman, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evitt, and Congresswoman

00:10:36.400 Nancy Mace, according to The Wall Street Journal. The congresswoman appearing on CBS yesterday,

00:10:41.560 leaving the door open to a run. I would be remiss if I didn't at least consider it. But right now,

00:10:47.780 my focus is going to be on South Carolina and mourning the loss of, I think, one of the greatest

00:10:52.580 sinners we're going to have in our history. And then I'll make some considerations to what I do

00:10:57.060 going forward. There may be a lot of people in this. There may not be, but we're talking about

00:11:01.080 a three-week race for the United States Senate if we're talking about July 21st to August 11th.

00:11:07.640 It's a very short period of time. Ms. Mace considering a Senate bid only weeks after 0.97

00:11:12.560 finishing fifth in South Carolina's Republican primary for governor, Congressman Joe Wilson

00:11:17.980 also emerging early as a possible contender before appearing to take himself out of consideration,

00:11:24.200 posting to X, quote,

00:11:25.340 I was grateful to speak with President Trump today,

00:11:27.960 reminiscing about our mutual friend, Senator Lindsey Graham.

00:11:30.760 I assured him my goal is to remain in the House

00:11:33.660 to keep his two-vote majority for the American people.

00:11:37.540 President Trump likely to carry significant influence

00:11:39.840 over both the interim appointment and the coming election,

00:11:43.060 given his close relationship with Governor McMaster.

00:11:45.940 The president speaking with NBC News yesterday,

00:11:48.900 hinting that he already has a preferred successor in mind.

00:11:52.000 Yet the governor of the great state of South Carolina is going to need to appoint someone on an interim basis.

00:11:59.680 There will also be a special election call.

00:12:01.700 Do you have, I know it's only hours, but is there someone you think he should appoint?

00:12:07.540 Is there someone you think he will appoint?

00:12:08.740 I have somebody that I think would be great, but I don't want to say it now because it's too soon with Lindsay.

00:12:16.520 I don't want to even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.

00:12:21.340 The governor is a good friend of mine.

00:12:23.060 But ultimately, it's going to be an election pretty soon.

00:12:25.880 As I understand the rules, every state is different.

00:12:28.420 But ultimately, they'll have an election.

00:12:30.140 They'll have some people joining.

00:12:31.980 Some are good.

00:12:32.740 Some are bad.

00:12:34.920 But I have somebody that I like, but I'm not going to tell you who now because it's too soon.

00:12:41.300 Coming up, more than 200 children and counselors rescued from a Missouri summer camp

00:12:46.900 as historic flooding leaves one person dead

00:12:49.740 and hundreds more in need of help.

00:12:52.060 And Kristi Noem's mother

00:12:53.700 revealing the former DHS secretary's reported divorce plans

00:12:57.180 after a truly bizarre year for the couple.

00:13:06.260 Are you feeling sluggish, bloated,

00:13:10.280 not quite like yourself?

00:13:11.780 This affects so many of us.

00:13:13.360 Life constantly bombards us with silent threats,

00:13:15.980 processed foods, seed oils, artificial light, nonstop stress, all of which can disrupt gut

00:13:22.600 health, drain your energy, and weaken your immune health while you're not even paying attention.

00:13:28.060 When that happens, it's not that your body's broken. It's that it might be missing the right

00:13:32.480 inputs. This is why you need to know about Armra Cholestrum. This thing's packed with more than 400

00:13:38.920 bioactive nutrients that they say can work at a foundational level to fortify gut health. So many

00:13:44.900 of our issues start with poor gut health that can support immune health. They say it can also fuel

00:13:50.040 recovery after a workout and promote whole body vitality. Doesn't that sound good? Strong gut

00:13:56.440 integrity can support metabolism, skin and hair health. Yes. If you're having problems there,

00:14:02.400 it could begin in your gut and even performance and recovery, which is why cholesterol has long

00:14:07.280 been valued by some elite athletes. If you are looking to take back control of your health from

00:14:12.660 the Inside Out, consider Armra. And they have a special deal for you right now. Go to armra.com

00:14:18.220 slash Megan or enter MEGYN to get 30% off your first subscription order. That's armra.com slash

00:14:26.740 MEGYN. More than 200 children and counselors safely airlifted from a Missouri summer camp

00:14:35.340 after historic flooding swallowed roads, cutting off every route out of the camp.

00:14:40.000 The dramatic rescue unfolding Friday at Camp Tom Salk in Lesterville, roughly 125 miles south of St. Louis.

00:14:48.860 Fox News reporting torrential storms dumping between 6 and 12 inches of rain across central, south-central, and southeastern Missouri.

00:14:57.080 The National Weather Service issuing flash flood warnings as thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same areas,

00:15:03.260 producing what officials describe as a one-in-1,000-year rainfall event in some locations.

00:15:09.720 Floodwaters washing out the roads surrounding the camp,

00:15:12.980 trapping children and staff on the property.

00:15:15.660 Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican,

00:15:18.720 mobilizing the National Guard,

00:15:20.700 including eight Black Hawk helicopters

00:15:22.540 and roughly 35 National Guard members

00:15:24.940 to evacuate all 202 campers and counselors.

00:15:29.420 The helicopters carrying the group to a nearby elementary school

00:15:32.420 where families waited to unite with them.

00:15:35.620 Anne DeField, telling NPR she and her husband spent Friday panicking

00:15:39.980 after learning floodwaters had forced their 9- and 11-year-old sons to higher ground.

00:15:45.760 Her boys, however, viewing the ordeal as one big adventure.

00:15:49.860 Nine-year-old Teddy calling the Blackhawk flight, quote,

00:15:52.460 really, really fun, describing it as, quote,

00:15:55.420 very loud and very cool and fast.

00:15:58.700 The successful evacuation only won part of a massive rescue effort across Missouri over the weekend.

00:16:04.060 Fox News reporting emergency crews conducted at least 351 swiftwater rescues across the region.

00:16:11.780 The conditions so dangerous that one of the rescue boats even capsizing during the response.

00:16:17.380 The Missouri State Highway Patrol reporting the boat's motor became tangled in a submerged line,

00:16:23.340 throwing two troopers into the water, who then swam to safety without injury.

00:16:28.440 Amid hundreds of successful rescues, the flooding claiming at least one life.

00:16:32.980 The Crawford County Sheriff's Office identifying the victim as 23-year-old Faith Gregory.

00:16:39.340 St. Louis Public Radio reporting floodwaters swept Gregory away on Friday morning.

00:16:45.100 Searchers finding her body Saturday in a creek nearly two miles from her home.

00:16:50.040 The Black River rising to a record 28.73 feet Friday afternoon as floodwaters tore through nearby communities.

00:16:59.100 By Sunday, crews turning from emergency rescues

00:17:02.100 to the enormous task of searching flood-damaged homes,

00:17:05.700 campgrounds, and also vehicles.

00:17:08.460 Missouri Task Force One leader Ryan Benedict

00:17:10.780 with FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Team

00:17:13.260 telling local outlet KSDK that crews still have a long way to go.

00:17:18.780 When the waters came up, campers, cars,

00:17:21.780 they just got swept away, and those have to be checked.

00:17:25.440 We have checked over 100 structures.

00:17:28.220 We've checked like over 100 campers.

00:17:30.520 We've checked over 90 vehicles.

00:17:32.060 And there's still a lot to do.

00:17:33.240 So that's why our crews are going out.

00:17:35.020 We're not really sure at what point that's going to end, but we're not going to stop until it's all done. 0.89

00:17:40.540 Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly planning to divorce her husband of 34 years, at least according to her mom.

00:17:50.400 Corinne Arnold telling the Daily Mail last week that Noem informed her during a family gathering in late spring

00:17:56.360 that she and Brian Noem intended to end their marriage. No divorce filing publicly surfacing,

00:18:02.760 however, leaving it unclear whether Noem followed through with those plans or plans to.

00:18:08.640 The apparent slip following the Daily Mail's bizarre March report detailing Brian Noem's

00:18:13.260 alleged involvement in an online fetish community centered around women with dramatically enlarged

00:18:19.720 breasts. The outlet reporting that Brian exchanged hundreds of messages with at least

00:18:25.000 three adult performers over an extended period, allegedly spending more than 25,000 bucks on the

00:18:31.520 interactions and making comments about his marriage that were not so great. Ryan reportedly

00:18:37.680 praising what he called, quote, huge, huge, ridiculous boobs and sending pictures of himself 0.99

00:18:43.180 posing with balloons stuffed beneath his own clothing to imitate dramatically oversized breasts, 0.99

00:18:50.080 not to mention the super short biker shorts.

00:18:53.420 Noam's representatives responding at the time that she was, quote,

00:18:56.000 devastated, adding that the family had been blindsided and wanted privacy and prayers.

00:19:01.780 Arnold telling the Daily Mail that the revelations appeared to mark the end of a marriage already

00:19:06.080 under strain, quote, it has been difficult, but we knew this was coming, that they were going to

00:19:11.280 get divorced. The Daily Mail reports Brian moved out of the couple's home after its original story

00:19:17.440 exposed his alleged extracurricular activities and that he now lives roughly 20 miles away,

00:19:24.320 both Christie and Brian declining to comment to the mail. The revelations about her husband

00:19:29.220 coming just weeks after a turbulent end to Noem's tenure at the Department of Homeland Security,

00:19:34.840 President Trump removing her from the department in early March after a pair of damaging congressional

00:19:40.320 hearings, including questions over a 220 million DHS advertising campaign starring Noem

00:19:47.300 that she claimed the president had approved, something the White House disputed.

00:19:52.600 Administration sources telling the New York Post the final straw came when

00:19:56.000 Noem refused to directly deny allegations that she was having a long-term affair with

00:20:01.580 special government employee at DHS, Corey Lewandowski. Noem's mother rejecting those

00:20:07.520 allegations, telling the Daily Mail, quote,

00:20:09.860 Christy would never do that. That's not how I brought my kids up.

00:20:13.040 and Cory's got his own wonderful family and little kids. The alleged relationship, however,

00:20:18.840 has been an open secret in Washington political circles for years,

00:20:23.140 with rumors surrounding the pair going back to at least 2021.

00:20:29.580 And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show,

00:20:34.580 live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east,

00:20:37.860 on youtube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all podcast platforms.

00:20:43.040 You

The Megyn Kelly Show - July 13, 2026

Sen. Lindsey Graham Dead at 71 as Replacement Scramble Begins, Missouri Camp Rescue： AM Update 7⧸13

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript