Chester Trent Lott Sr., commonly known as Trent Lott, is an American lobbyist, lawyer, author, and former politician who represented Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1989 and in the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 2007. Born on October 9, 1941, in Grenada, Mississippi, Lott attended the University of Mississippi, earning a bachelor's degree in commerce in 1964 and a Juris Doctor in 1967. He began his political career as an aide to U.S. Representative William Colmer and was elected to Congress in 1972, serving as House Minority Whip from 1981 to 1989 before moving to the Senate. In the Senate, he rose quickly, becoming Senate Majority Whip in 1994 and Senate Majority Leader from 1996 to 2001, during which time he championed the Iraq Liberation Act. After Democrats took control of the Senate in 2001, Lott became Minority Leader and then regained the Majority Leader role in 2002. He resigned from this leadership position in late 2003 following controversy sparked by remarks he made at Senator Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday celebration in December 2002, suggesting the South would have been better off if Thurmond had won his 1948 segregationist presidential bid as a Dixiecrat. This statement led to accusations of racism and support for segregation, resulting in his ouster from leadership, although he remained in the Senate until 2007. Throughout his career, Lott was criticized for his ties to the conservative wing of the GOP and his opposition to affirmative action and certain civil rights measures, highlighting tensions within Southern Republican politics. After retiring from the Senate, he co-founded the lobbying firm Patton Boggs (later Squire Patton Boggs) and has lobbied for various clients, including foreign governments and corporations. Lott has also authored books on his political experiences and remains influential in Republican circles, though his legacy is mixed due to the 2002 scandal. He is married to Patricia Dixon, with whom he has two children, and resides in the Washington, D.C. area.