Former MSNBC (now known as MS Now) host Joy Reid is facing criticism after using her podcast to condemn the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, saying he had “sold [his] soul to the devil” and remarking that “hell opened its doors for at least one more.”
Reid made the comments during Monday’s episode of The Joy Reid Show, one day after Graham’s office announced the longtime South Carolina Republican had died at age 71 following what was described as a brief and sudden illness later attributed to a heart condition.
Reid Rejects Calls for a Traditional Eulogy
Rather than offering condolences, Reid used much of the episode to criticize Graham’s political legacy and reject what she described as the media’s tendency to speak positively about prominent conservatives after their deaths.
“There is a thing that happens when people who are not good people, and who’ve done a lot of bad… the media reacts to them in a very specific sort of ‘f—ed up-ish’ kind of way, particularly when they’re conservatives,” Reid said.
She also dismissed the notion that the country was broadly mourning Graham’s passing.
“So I will not be bullied by the corporate media into doing fake encomiums,” Reid said. “I cannot tell you how many anchors are on television saying, ‘The world is mourning the death of Lindsey Graham’… Nope!”
“You Sold Your Soul”
Throughout the podcast, Reid argued that Graham abandoned his principles by becoming one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies after initially opposing his 2016 presidential campaign.
“You sold your soul. You betrayed your friends, your legacy, your own soul,” Reid said. “You sold your soul to the devil, and now you get to meet him in person.”
She concluded the segment by asserting that his relationship with Trump ultimately defined his political legacy.
Criticism of Graham’s Senate Record
Reid also revisited Graham’s tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing him of being “one of the most snide, mean, horrific interrogators of Black nominees.”
She specifically referenced his questioning of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during her 2022 confirmation hearings, which drew criticism from many Democrats at the time.
Despite her harsh assessment, Reid acknowledged Graham’s political abilities, describing him as “witty, intelligent, smart enough to do better and to know better.”
She noted that Graham had once been one of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics, highlighting a social media post from 2016 in which he warned that nominating Trump would ultimately destroy the Republican Party.
Political Rhetoric Continues to Draw Scrutiny
Reid’s remarks quickly drew attention online, adding to an ongoing debate over increasingly inflammatory political rhetoric following the deaths of public figures.
While some supporters defended her actions, critics argued that celebrating or mocking the death of political opponents further deepens partisan hostility and undermines civil political discourse.
The controversy comes as prominent progressive media personalities and elected officials continue to face criticism over how they respond to the deaths of ideological rivals.
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Considering some of Trump’s nasty comments about deceased people he didn’t agree with, Joy Reid seems pretty mild. And she’s not wrong.