Lawler rips Mace over ‘grotesque’ Graham succession post

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) on Sunday ripped into Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) over what he called a “grotesque” post about running to succeed Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died Saturday night.

Mace posted on the social platform X a clip from “The Godfather Part III” where Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone says one of the film’s most quoted lines: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

“Literally no one is pulling you back in,” Lawler replied on X. “This post is grotesque. Taking glee over the potential of becoming a Senator because of a vacancy created by the sudden death of your colleague is vile. Completely unfit to serve.”

Lawler wrote in a separate post about first meeting Graham in 2008 while he was an intern for former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Graham’s friend.

“He was gracious, kind, and funny,” Lawler said. “Last year I had dinner with him and a number of Senators and colleagues — he was the life of the party and kept everyone laughing throughout the night. He will be missed — as a colleague and friend — but moreover as a true American patriot who loved this country and championed freedom around the world.”

Mace is expected to conduct polling this week to measure her potential strength in a primary race to replace Graham. When asked about whether Mace will run to succeed Graham, a person familiar with her thinking told The Hill Sunday morning: “YOLO,” which means “you only live once.”

She praised the longtime senator, writing on X on Sunday that the Palmetto State “lost a giant last night.”

Mace last month came in fifth place in the Republican gubernatorial primary in South Carolina, receiving 12 percent of the vote and blaming her loss on being among the few Republicans to side with Democrats in requiring the Department of Justice to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which angered President Trump.

Right now, she is set to depart Congress in January.

After Graham, 71, died from an aortic dissection on Saturday, Mace said the late senator “gave everything he had to this state and this country, from the Air Force to the United States Senate.” Separately, she also shared the clip from “The Godfather Part III.”

Trump, who called Graham a “true American Patriot” after he died, on Monday said he recommended Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term through the end of the year.

Graham was up for reelection in November and was slated to run against Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election.

The filing period for a special primary to replace Graham as the nominee runs July 21-28, with a special primary election scheduled to take place on Aug. 11 and a runoff, if needed, on Aug. 25.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) will separately appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of Graham’s term, through Jan. 3. He has a news conference set for 4 p.m. Monday on the matter.