Comedian Margaret Cho mocked the death of late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in a social media video, then appeared to wish for another Republican death while mentioning Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The short clip spread online after Graham’s sudden death over the weekend. Cho used the moment to joke about Graham’s personal life before turning to McConnell and saying deaths “happen in threes.”
Graham died at 71 after serving for more than two decades in the U.S. Senate. The South Carolina Republican had been one of the most visible GOP figures in Washington, especially on foreign policy, judicial nominations, and national security issues. His death prompted tributes from public officials across the political spectrum, but it also led to a wave of hostile posts from some left-wing celebrities and commentators.
Cho, who has often mixed comedy with left-wing political commentary, posted her thoughts in a brief Instagram video. Her comments did not focus on Graham’s Senate record, his votes, or any specific policy complaint. Instead, it centered on Graham himself, unsubstantiated rumors about his private life, and ended with a wish for Mitch McConnell’s health to fail. Cho posted the clip to her Instagram page, which has hundreds of thousands of followers, on Sunday, July 12.
Cho opened the video by saying, “Bye, Lindsey. Bye, Lindsey Graham.” She then added, “From the closet to the coffin, real seamless, real seamless.” The line appeared to reference long-running jokes and rumors about Graham’s sexuality, despite Graham never publicly identifying as gay. She then moved from Graham to McConnell.
“Also, yeah, Mitch McConnell,” Cho said. “So it’s Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham. Does happen in threes. Hope.” The final word seemed to suggest that Cho was not merely noting the old saying that deaths “come in threes”, but hoping another Republican would die next.
Watch the video of Cho’s comments here:
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The caption on the post read, “Bye gurl”. Cho also included the “#fdt” hashtag, which is commonly used as an anti-Trump slogan. That gave the short video an additional meaning, since Cho did not name a third person in the video but left the “happen in threes” line hanging after mentioning Graham and McConnell.
Cho was not the only celebrity to respond to Graham’s death with hostile remarks. Breitbart reported that comedian Michael Ian Black wrote, “More than anything, his legacy will be that of parasitic fealty. That his relationship with McCain seems, in retrospect, to be rooted in nothing more than opportunism, his relationship with Trump will be remembered as that of enabler-in-chief.” Actor Ethan Embry also wrote, “I don’t see what the celebration is all about, there’s still 51 of em walking around,” according to the same report.
Many public figures responded with formal condolences or comments about his long Senate career, while others used the news to attack his legacy. Graham had been a major Republican figure for years, first as a close ally of the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and later as one of President Donald Trump’s most important supporters in the Senate. His career made him a frequent target for Democrats, media figures, and left-wing entertainers.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.