Lindsey Graham remembered by Trump as 'giant of the US Senate' at funeral
The US president was among several dignitaries who attended the service for the late lawmaker, who died earlier this month.
At the funeral service for US Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, President Donald Trump honored the late lawmaker, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month, as a "giant of the United States Senate."
In his eulogy, Trump described Graham, who was 71 when he died, as a "true American original, who left us much too soon." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were also present at the Tuesday funeral to pay their respects to Graham, a significant supporter of both their nations.
Trump remarked, "He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out." Graham's death was attributed to an "aortic dissection"—a tear in the heart's main artery—shortly after he returned from a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Zelensky.
"He died doing the work he was born to do," Trump stated.
Graham, who first won election to the US Senate in 2022, represented South Carolina until his death. He was known as a prominent foreign policy hawk in the Senate, advocating for the US war with Iran and strongly supporting Israel. He was also a key ally for Ukraine in the Senate, even as the Republican Party was divided on the extent of US involvement in global conflicts.
Trump observed, "Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it."
Vice President JD Vance was among the Trump administration officials who attended Graham's funeral.
Trump's remarks, lasting approximately 15 minutes, largely adhered to his script, offering a concise summary of the Republican senator's life and political career, interspersed with anecdotes and jokes that drew laughter from attendees. He spoke of their shared passion for golf, Graham's dedication to foreign policy, and his "magnetic personality" and "vim and vigour."
While Trump and Graham initially had differences, particularly during Trump's ascent in national politics—even trading harsh words when they ran against each other in the 2016 presidential campaign—Graham later became a staunch ally after Trump's election. Their close bond in recent years was evident in the president's eulogy.
Trump recounted an incident from a 2015 campaign event where he publicly shared Graham's phone number after the senator had insulted him. "His phone exploded," Trump told the mourners. "It was Lindsey who had the last laugh," he continued, "Because while I blew up his phone for one day, we became great friends and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years."
Graham's sister, Darline Graham, has been appointed to fill his US Senate seat for South Carolina.
Other notable speakers, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, paid tribute to Graham as a "force of nature" and a "true original." Hannity addressed Darline Graham, who was seated in the front pews, telling her, "You were his life." Graham and his sister had lost both parents within 15 months of each other at a young age, and Graham later adopted her.
Vice President JD Vance was among several high-ranking Trump administration officials present at the service held at the Washington National Cathedral, a venue for many prominent American funeral services and memorial events. Former President George W. Bush spoke there after the 9/11 attacks.
While the cathedral is often associated with memorial services for former presidents, Lindsey Graham is not the only recent sitting senator to receive such an honor. In 2018, John McCain of Arizona, a close friend of Graham's, also had his memorial service there.
Graham's service was a more intimate gathering compared to presidential funerals, which can fill the immense building to capacity. For instance, former President Jimmy Carter's memorial early last year drew all five living US presidents, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Nevertheless, the diverse range of attendees at Graham's service underscored his significant influence in the nation's capital.