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President Trump and Others Bid Farewell to 'Tough Cookie' Lindsey Graham at Memorial Service

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  July 28, 2026 2:55 PM

The late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) received his Washington farewell as President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other prominent figures in Washington, D.C. offered their condolences to Graham, his family, and, believe it or not, his staff. Graham’s casket was taken to the Rotunda this morning, where Mr. Vance said Graham loved and was interested in everyone, including new dining room staffers. It was impossible not to like him.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) also gave remarks in memory of his late friend. 

Later this afternoon, a service was held at the National Cathedral, where President Trump attended and delivered his remarks about the late South Carolina Republican.

“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart,” said Trump. “He died doing the work he was born to do,” he added. 

The president spoke about his early life, noting that, at a young age, he and his sister Darlene, now a U.S. Senator, were dealt a brutal blow with the deaths of their parents. Graham was left to care for his younger sister, who was then 13. He’s said numerous times how his single proudest accomplishment is how his sister turned out after their parents’ passing. 

Trump noted how Graham arrived in Washington, D.C. during the 1994 Republican Revolution, riding that red wave into Washington by representing South Carolina’s 3rd congressional district, which hadn’t had a Republican representing it since 1877. 

“He was a force of nature, and I will miss him greatly,” added Trump. While also noting his skills as a politician, he was also a tough cookie. He quipped on how he and Graham did not get along at first, being political rivals during the 2016 Republican primaries. Trump admitted he did something he shouldn’t have done after the late U.S. Senator attacked him: he shared his cell phone number, which he repeated on the lectern. Trump said Graham got the last laugh: while he blew up his phone in one day—Graham has had that number for 20 or so years—Lindsey would later call him nonstop for the next decade. 

“Lindsey, we love you, God Bless You, we will always be with you, and you were very, very special,” the president said in closing.