Lindsey Graham Shamed by Passenger Over Trump Support: “John McCain and Katie Are Ashamed of You”

News
Alexis N. Crockett
February 27, 2025
10 minutes read

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) found himself in an awkward moment while boarding a flight, as an unnamed passenger publicly shamed him for his continued support of President Donald Trump despite his past friendship with the late Senator John McCain.

According to The Irish Star, the incident, which was filmed by the passenger and later uploaded to social media, quickly gained traction on Reddit, drawing widespread attention—particularly for a cryptic mention of someone named “Katie.”

The viral clip shows Graham, 69, walking down an airport jetway, accompanied by security, when the off-camera passenger calls out, “Senator John McCain is ashamed of you and so is my friend Katie.”

While the identity of Katie remains unknown, internet users have rallied behind her, using the moment to criticize Graham’s shifting political stance. Once a vocal critic of Trump, Graham became one of the former president’s strongest allies following McCain’s death in 2018.

McCain, a longtime Arizona senator, was well known for his opposition to Trump and famously cast the deciding vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act. Graham, who once called Trump a “kook” and “unfit for office,” later aligned himself with the former president, a move that has drawn scrutiny from former McCain loyalists.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) shouts while questioning Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court Washington, (DC.Win McNamee / Getty Images)

In recent weeks, Graham has faced additional political setbacks. Trump recently rejected his budget proposal, which included $175 billion for border control and $150 billion for military funding, insisting instead on combining priorities into “ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,” as he wrote on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, social media users seized on the viral confrontation, turning “Katie” into an unexpected symbol of disapproval for Graham’s political maneuvers. “Idk who Katie is but I respect her disdain for Graham,” one user wrote. “McCain rolling over in his grave, he can live with. Pissing off Katie? He’s in shambles,” another quipped.

Passenger confronts Lindsay Graham: “Senator John McCain is ashamed of you and so is my friend Katie”
byu/Creative_Sea2433 inFauxmoi

“John McCain is one thing, but to disappoint Katie is damn near treason,” joked a third. Others expressed hope that Graham would continue to face public shame for his political transformation. “This man needs to be shamed wherever he goes for the rest of his life,” one comment read.

As Graham continues to navigate shifting GOP dynamics under Trump’s second term, it remains to be seen whether more moments like this will follow—or if the senator will eventually have a response to the question on everyone’s mind: Who is Katie?