President Donald Trump paid tribute to his friend, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), with jokes, anecdotes, and a touching reflection on his decadeslong career.“Today we gather with the deepest gratitude, profoundest sorrow, to honor a beloved friend, a devoted brother, a respected statesman, a giant of the United States Senate, and a true American original who left us much too soon, and that can only be the one and only Lindsey Graham,” Trump said.Many of Washington’s top lawmakers gathered on Tuesday for Graham’s funeral, including Vice President JD Vance, who also called him an “American original” in his eulogy.
Throughout the speech, Trump alternated between lighthearted moments and tense moments in their relationship. Trump even jokingly reiterated Graham’s phone number during his speech, referencing a previous moment when he shared the late senator’s number during their battle for the presidency in 2015.“I did something that I shouldn’t have done,” said Trump. “I shared his personal cell phone number with the millions of people that happened to be watching that particular day. As I made a speech, a very important speech, and I remember the number 202-228-0292. If anybody wants to give it a shot, his phone exploded.“He said, ‘I had that number for 20 years.’ His phone totally — I don’t know what he did with it — but it exploded,” Trump said. “That was the beginning of a friendship, in a way. But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh 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. It was not easy.”The funeral service came mere hours after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky separately at the White House.Graham, one of the Senate’s most tenacious war hawks, was a strong supporter of Ukraine’s battle against Russia and the U.S. backing of Israel, even if it meant clashing with members of the Trump administration who prioritized an America First approach.“He had unwavering faith in the righteousness of American power and prayer. He was extremely hawkish,” Trump said about Graham’s background. “I will tell you, he never saw a war that he didn’t like. Only his true friends would understand that. But he wanted it for the good of our country. He felt in his bones that our destiny is to win, and that his job was to do everything he could to ensure our enemies would lose.”The president also alluded to Graham’s foreign policy with his comments about the world leaders, including Zelensky and Netanyahu, who also gathered for the funeral. “He had tremendous friendships all over the world,” Trump recalled. “It’s a testament to his towering impact that among those mourning him here today are leaders, presidents, prime ministers from all over the globe, sitting right here before you.”Trump’s meetings with the two leaders earlier were held behind closed doors away from the prying eyes of the press. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on social media that “Both meetings were positive and productive!”Zelensky also claimed to have had a productive meeting with Trump before meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.“The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,” Zelensky wrote. “We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the United States for its firm support.”
