Susan Rice thinks Lindsey Graham is 'a piece of s--t'


The world now knows exactly how Susan Rice feels about Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Rice, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 and was former President Barack Obama's national security adviser from 2013 to 2017, sat down with two other Obama officials — Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor — for their podcast, Pod Save the World. In a clip released Tuesday afternoon, Rhodes said that in order to understand President Trump, "you have to understand Benghazi," referring to the 2012 attack in Libya, which left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Vietor responded, "Right, because Lindsey Graham isn't just a piece of s--t now," and was quickly interrupted by Rice. "He's been a piece of s--t," she said with a laugh. "I said it. I said it, damnit, finally. He's a piece of s--t." Vietor added that Graham was "lying, lying, lying" about the attack, and "raising money off of the death of four Americans."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rice and Graham went toe to toe in the wake of the Benghazi attack, as Republicans accused Rice of intentionally misleading the public, with Graham among the loudest voices. It was determined during 10 separate investigations that no members of the Obama administration lied or engaged in a cover-up, and when that conclusion was shared in a report released in November 2014 by the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee, Graham was heated. "That's a bunch of garbage," he told CNN. Graham said Rice went on television after the attack and declared on "three different occasions the consulate was strongly, and significantly, secure." Nothing, he added, "could be further than that from the truth."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictator
In the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants