Here’s Who Is Attending Lindsey Graham’s Funeral Services
Time · LC · trust 38/100
Funeral services for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham started on Tuesday in the nation’s capital, with several notable political and media figures in town to attend the ceremonies.
The Tuesday services are all taking place in Washington, D.C.; further ceremonies will take place in the South Carolina lawmaker’s home state on Wednesday.
Politicians gathered in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday morning to honor Graham in a ceremony that was closed to the public but livestreamed. Vice President J.D. Vance gave a eulogy for the South Carolina lawmaker, recounting their time together in the Senate.
“I remember Lindsey Graham as a man who loved people, and because he loved people, he was willing to reason with them, to respect them, and ultimately to persuade them,” Vance said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also spoke about his friendship with Graham, calling him “entertaining always and pretentious never.”
“It didn’t matter to Lindsey whether an issue was popular or unpopular, whether he had the full support of his colleagues or was standing alone,” Thune said. “He told things the way he saw them and he didn’t mince words.”
Graham’s remains were then carried over to the Washington National Cathedral for a funeral service Tuesday afternoon. The service is by invitation only, but, like the Capitol Rotunda ceremony, is being livestreamed to the public.
Many prominent figures are in attendance. President Donald Trump gave a speech during the service in remembrance of Graham, who went from a vocal critic of Trump and one of his opponents in the 2016 Republican presidential primary to one of the President’s closest allies in Congress.
In his remarks, Trump called Graham "the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people you wanted to fight."
"From that pool hall where his parents raised him to the halls of the United States Senate where he was respected and loved, this son of South Carolina became one of the most important men in the most important country on earth," the President said. "In a country where politicians often become jaded and cynical, Lindsey Graham never lost the old-fashioned American idealism that brought him to the highest levels of government and life."
Other world leaders—including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky—also attended the service.
“On behalf of all of Ukraine, we will honor the memory of Senator Lindsey Graham,” Zelensky said in a social media post announcing that he had landed in the U.S. on Tuesday. “Together with everyone attending the ceremony in Washington, we will remember his commitment to security and freedom across the transatlantic community and around the world.”
Graham, who died earlier this month of an aortic dissection , spent some of his final days in Ukraine on his 10th visit to the country since it was invaded by Russia in 2022. Prior to his death, the South Carolina Senator was a staunch supporter of Ukraine and pushed for strong sanctions against Moscow.
He was also a vocal advocate for Israel and defender of U.S. support for the country amid its war in Gaza. Netanyahu praised Graham following the lawmaker’s death as “a great friend of Israel” and “a cherished friend of mine.”
Fox News’ Sean Hannity also spoke during the Tuesday service at Washington National Cathedral, and several other notable names gave readings, including evangelical minister Rev. Franklin Graham and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser.
A number of members of Trump's Cabinet also gathered at the National Cathedral for the ceremony. Among them are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin—both of whom previously served in the Senate with Graham—as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and other top Administration officials.
Graham represented South Carolina in the upper chamber for more than 20 years. The 71-year-old lawmaker had been seeking a fifth term before his death.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to complete the rest of his term, which ends in January. Last week, she announced that she plans to run for a full term in the seat, joining a crowded field of candidates vying for the Republican nomination that also includes former South Carolina congressman and governor Mark Sanford and current Rep. Russell Fry.
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