A Republican challenger to Senator Lindsey Graham has accused the South Carolina incumbent of lobbying to have Fox News host Trey Gowdy replace Pam Bondi as US attorney general. Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman running for the GOP nomination, wrote on X that Graham was “reportedly pushing” for Gowdy to take over if Bondi is forced out. He described Graham as a “globalist, swamp-monster Beltway RINO” and said the party needed “results, not press conferences” and “arrests, not FOX News appearances”.
In a further post, citing the right-leaning account Publius, Lynch said Graham’s alleged advice, combined with his “globalist tendencies and atrocious voting record”, were reasons he intended to replace the senator. A spokesman for the Lynch campaign told The Independent that Lynch was not defending Bondi, arguing that her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case had “failed the public’s demand for accountability”. The spokesman added: “Graham’s push to install Trey Gowdy would be another swamp move, not a clean break.”
Gowdy, a former South Carolina congressman who served from 2011 to 2019 and chaired the House Oversight Committee, joined Fox News after leaving office. The speculation about Bondi’s future follows her appearance before the House Judiciary Committee last Wednesday, where she clashed with Democrats and declined to acknowledge Epstein survivors seated behind her. Democratic Representative Robert Garcia called for her to step down, as did a disparate group of conservatives including Kyle Rittenhouse and Nick Fuentes, though there is currently no indication she intends to resign.
The White House directed The Independent to President Donald Trump’s recent Truth Social post praising Bondi as “fantastic” in dealing with “Deranged Left Lunatics” on the committee. Graham, who has Trump’s “complete and total endorsement”, is widely expected to fend off challenges from Lynch and Paul Dans in the Senate primary. In a recent NBC News interview, Graham described himself as Trump’s “north star” and said their bond was maintained by being “mildly entertaining”, playing golf, and recognising Trump’s presidency. Administration spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Graham was “a close ally” who played a critical role in advancing the president’s agenda.
