Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (R-S.C.), likely the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE’s nomination of William Barr to be attorney general and said he intends to help move his confirmation process through the Senate.

“President Trump made an outstanding decision in nominating William Barr to serve as the next Attorney General. Mr. Barr is highly capable, highly respected and will provide new and much-needed leadership for the Department of Justice,” Graham said in a statement.

Graham also highlighted Barr's previous experience as attorney general under the late President George H.W. Bush, calling the nominee "a known quantity, a man of the highest integrity and character, and has an impeccable reputation."

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“I will do everything in my power to push him through the Senate Judiciary Committee and onto the floor of the Senate for eventual confirmation as soon as possible,” he added.

A frequent Trump detractor during the 2016 campaign, Graham has turned into one of the president’s most reliable partners on Capitol Hill.

The South Carolina Republican made headlines with an impassioned defense of Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughOvernight Health Care: US coronavirus deaths hit 200,000 | Ginsburg's death puts future of ObamaCare at risk | Federal panel delays vote on initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Trump says he'll make Supreme Court pick on Saturday MORE in September after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct upended his confirmation process.

Trump announced Barr’s nomination Friday, calling him a “brilliant man” and telling reporters “he was my first choice since day one.”

Barr would replace former Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE, who was dismissed in November and drew the president’s ire after he recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

The Department of Justice is currently led by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

Sessions's recusal resulted in Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE’s appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE.

Barr criticized Mueller’s team last year over political donations some of its lawyers had made in the past, telling The Washington Post in 2017, “prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party.”

“I would have liked to see [Mueller] have more balance on this group,” he added.

Barr also suggested Mueller’s team may have been behind leaks of sensitive details of the investigation, including whether Trump was the target of an obstruction probe.

“Leaks by any investigation are deplorable and raise questions as to whether there is an agenda,” Barr told The Hill in June 2017.

His confirmation process, which will begin in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will likely be marked by questions from Democrats about the Justice Department’s political independence from the White House as well as how Barr would tackle overseeing Mueller.

“I do think he is worthy of consideration. I am concerned he has said some negative things about the special counsel's office and some of the prosecutors he had in place,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharSocial media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates MORE (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday on MSNBC.