Hayes — in a segment looking back at Graham’s legacy following his sudden death over the weekend — argued that the late senator saw Trump as someone who could help him continue his advocacy for war and as a “powerful” figure who could further the shared goals of the GOP.

While Graham briefly distanced himself from Trump in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol riot, the host noted that the late senator wound up voting to acquit him during his second impeachment, eventually cozying up to him again ahead of his 2024 win.

“Graham reembraced Trump, attacking the few Republicans that broke ranks and voicing a conclusion that turned out to be grounded very firmly in an astute understanding of political reality,” Hayes said.

He later continued, “Lindsey Graham wasn’t a victim or a mark. He wasn’t weak. He didn’t flip-flop. No. He was a man who had his own project he was pursuing and he viewed Trump as crucial to that project.”

Hayes pointed to a clip of Graham “succinctly, if cheekily” laying out the party’s “priorities” when he expressed love for the direction the U.S. was heading in at last year’s Republican Jewish Coalition annual leadership summit.

“We’re killing all the right people and we’re cutting your taxes,” said Graham, whose remarks sparked cheers from the crowd.

Hayes weighed in, saying, “That’s what he looked to his party to deliver, it’s what he wanted to deliver. He was committed to that vision and it was able to do so through Donald Trump.”