Former United States Senator Lindsey Graham was honoured on Tuesday with a high-profile funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, foreign leaders, lawmakers, cabinet members, family and friends paid tribute to the late South Carolina Republican.
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The funeral service ended with the choir and mourners singing “Amazing Grace,” after which pallbearers carried Graham’s flag-draped casket out of the sanctuary to Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” a musical choice seen as reflecting repeated references to Graham’s humble upbringing.
The casket is now expected to be taken to Graham’s home state of South Carolina, where further services and burial rites will be held.
Dignitaries who attended the Washington service included President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former Vice President Mike Pence, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Fox News host Sean Hannity, Cindy and Meghan McCain, and several current and former senators.
Trump, who delivered a eulogy lasting about 15 minutes, described Graham as “a respected statesman,” “a giant of the United States Senate” and “a true American original who left us much too soon.”
He said Graham rose from rural South Carolina to become a major figure in American politics and foreign policy, adding that for more than 30 years, little of consequence happened in Washington or abroad without Graham having a view on it.
Trump also recalled Graham’s childhood, noting that he lived in the backroom of a bar and learned early lessons in diplomacy. He said the late senator “went out at the peak of his career” and was “at the top of his game” when he died.
The President described Graham as a tough senator and “one of the first people that would make you laugh, and one of the last people you really ever wanted to fight.”
Trump also acknowledged their rocky political history, recalling how Graham criticised him during the 2016 presidential race and how he responded by publicly reading out Graham’s phone number on television.
Trump admitted it was “something I shouldn’t have done,” but said the incident later became part of the story of their friendship. He joked again about the phone number during the eulogy, saying people could still try calling it.
The President also referred to Graham’s strong support for American allies, especially Ukraine and Israel, saying, “He was extremely hawkish. I will tell you he never saw a war that he didn’t like.”
He added that only Graham’s true friends would understand that his hawkishness was driven by what he believed was best for the United States.
Trump also praised Graham’s devotion to his younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, whom he adopted after their parents died. Darline has since been appointed to replace him in the Senate and is running for a full term in an August 11 primary with Trump’s backing.
Vice President Vance, who served with Graham in the Senate, remembered him for his “swashbuckling, infectious laugh” and said he loved people from all walks of life.
According to Vance, Graham was equally interested in Senate waitstaff, cooks, young staffers and national leaders because he was deeply fascinated by people.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham was a towering figure in the Senate and on the international stage, but added that he would remember him most as a friend.
“It’s hard to think that there will be no more Senate dinners with Lindsey,” Thune said.
Fox News host Sean Hannity, a longtime friend of Graham, described him as a “force of nature” and a “true original,” saying there was nobody like him.
Hannity said he and Graham did not always agree, but they remained friends for decades. He also said Graham was proud to be a senator and was a frequent Fox News guest who captured public attention.
Addressing Netanyahu during his tribute, Hannity said Graham would have been moved that the Israeli leader travelled to attend the funeral, adding that Graham loved Israel.
He also addressed Zelensky, noting that Graham had travelled to Kyiv just days before his death and often spoke privately about Zelensky’s strength against Russia.
Before the funeral, Trump held separate White House meetings with Zelensky and Netanyahu. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later described both meetings as “positive and productive.”
Zelensky said his meeting with Trump was good and included discussions on Ukraine receiving a licence to produce Patriot interceptor missiles to strengthen its defences against Russia, as well as efforts to restart peace talks.
Netanyahu also described his meeting with Trump positively, saying it was one of the best conversations he had ever had with the President as they discussed their shared goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The presence of Netanyahu and Zelensky at the funeral underlined Graham’s influence on foreign policy and his long-standing support for both Israel and Ukraine.
Graham’s funeral activities began earlier on Tuesday when his American flag-draped casket arrived at the US Capitol Rotunda for a special ceremony, marking his final visit to the building where he served for more than three decades.
An armed forces body bearer team carried the casket up the Capitol steps in honour of Graham’s military service. He served as an Air Force Judge Advocate General officer and retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2015 with the rank of colonel.
The Capitol ceremony was attended by senators, former senators, cabinet officials, family members and staff. Former senators present included Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, Rob Portman, Richard Burr, Jeff Flake, Pat Toomey and Kelly Ayotte, now Governor of New Hampshire.
Ayotte said Graham’s death was a major loss because of his voice on foreign policy and America’s role in the world, adding that he loved life and could make people laugh.
Graham’s sister, Darline, walked tearfully to the casket during the Capitol ceremony and placed her hand on it before being joined by family members. Former Senator Richard Burr later kissed the casket in farewell.
Although Graham did not lie in state or lie in honour at the Capitol, the ceremonies reflected his political influence, long career and deep relationships across Washington.
He served in the military for 33 years, chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee at the time of his death, and was one of the most quoted members of Congress, including regular appearances on Fox News and 63 appearances on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Senator Ron Johnson, who succeeded Graham as Budget Committee chairman after his death on July 11, described him as “one of a kind” and irreplaceable, saying the heavy travel of his public life took a toll on him.
The funeral also drew comparisons with other major memorial services at Washington National Cathedral, including that of Graham’s close friend, the late Senator John McCain, in 2018.
After the Washington events, remembrances are expected to continue at the South Carolina State House in Columbia on Wednesday morning. Graham’s casket will be carried by a South Carolina State Guard horse-drawn military wagon, known as a caisson, followed by an F-16 flyover to honour his military service.
A public funeral service will also be held at First Baptist Church of Columbia, before a private family burial in Pickens County, where Graham was born and raised.
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