Lindsey Graham Faces Backlash Over Disney World Trip Amid Government Shutdown

As the DHS shutdown continued, with endless queues at airports and many federal workers unpaid, Senator Lindsey Graham took time out for Disney World. TMZ published photos of Graham enjoying breakfast at the Contemporary Resort, on the 44th day of the shutdown. California Governor Gavin Newsom weighed in on the images on X (formerly Twitter).

Speaking to TMZ, Graham defended his trip, explaining that he was invited to a meeting in South Florida to discuss normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. He added that he voted seven times to fully fund the government and blamed the Democrats for the shutdown.

The DHS shutdown, triggered by a funding impasse, led to approximately 50,000 federal workers not receiving their salaries, causing major disruptions at airports across the United States. Several Transportation Security Officers reportedly quit due to the crisis. ICE officers were sent to help, but reportedly only made matters worse.

Affected airports included Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and New Orleans, among others, with queues extending outside the terminals. The previous week, the Senate passed a funding bill, but House Republican leaders reportedly declined to advance it.

TMZ noted how Senator Graham enjoyed his breakfast at Chef Mickey's in Disney World, where Disney characters tour the tables to interact with patrons. The restaurant staff tucked the senator away at a back table before he went to the buffet line to grab his choices from the selection. He then headed back to his table to enjoy his breakfast.

A witness told TMZ that Lindsey was having a great time, talking with a younger woman and a child at a table. Reportedly, the senator enjoyed touring the park with a bubble wand in hand and spent three days at Disney World.

On Monday, Graham posted on X, blaming the Democrats for the shutdown and referencing his work on a 'new deal' for DHS. He wrote, 'Threats to our country are through the roof and it’s well past time to pay all workers. Schumer and gang are playing a dangerous game with our homeland security.'

Senator Graham was heavily criticized for his visit to Disney World while thousands of federal workers were not receiving their salaries due to the government shutdown.