Lindsey Graham lashes out at CNN host after she corrects his misleading abortion claim

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington email

Lindsey Graham lost his composure and snapped at CNN host Dana Bash after she sought to correct him on a misleading claim about abortions.

The Republican senator for South Carolina appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday to react to the Supreme Court’s Friday ruling to preserve the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the widely-used abortion drug mifepristone.

Mr Graham questioned whether the FDA had gone “too far”, citing changes to how mifepristone is provided in the 23 years since it was first approved.

“Sending the abortion drug through the mail is a big change in how it is provided,” he said. “In 2000, when it was first approved, you had to have four visits to the doctor. In 2021, the Biden administration said you don’t have to even consult a physician anymore and send it through the mail.

“Is that safe? Has the FDA gone too far? Have they used the procedures in place to make such a dramatic change? That’s what the court will decide,” he added in reference to the case being put before a lower appeals court next month.

Tensions rose when Ms Bash questioned whether Mr Graham believes the mifepristone ban is a state or federal issue.

He appeared to dodge the question, saying: “Yeah, it is a human rights issue.”

Pressed further, Mr Graham leaned into a common GOP tactic in the debate over abortion: bringing up the very rare late-term abortion.

He called it “barbaric” to allow abortions up to the “moment of birth” – prompting Ms Bash to push back.

“For the record, Roe [v Wade] went up to viability, but I just want to button this up,” she said before being interrupted.

A visibly upset Mr Graham snapped back: “No, no, no! Quit covering for these guys! No, no, no!

“You’re media and you keep covering for these guys!”

He raged on: “They [Democrats] introduced legislation that allowed abortion on demand with taxpayer funding up to the moment of birth. That was their position in Washington That is the law they want to pass, and nobody in your business will talk about it!”

Ms Bash replied calmly: “Senator, I’m not covering for anybody.

“You know that, and when I have Democrats on, and I’ve asked many — all of them — about their position on where they believe this issue should be.”