It was Lindsey Graham’s last political act: bringing leaders of two of his great causes, Israel and Ukraine, back before President Donald Trump.
Like many Washington funerals, the senator’s on Tuesday was as much about the living — and their immortal game of politics — as the dead.
It underscored the late son of South Carolina’s role as a great convener. But a day of high-stakes diplomacy on the sidelines of the ceremony also reflected a fundamental truth: Trump is the center of gravity.
Graham wielded influence by appearing at the sides of those who held far greater power. His metamorphic style meant he could simultaneously advocate neoconservative interventionism while serving as an “America First” whisperer. Trump hinted at the contradiction in his eulogy from the pulpit at Washington National Cathedral: “He never saw a war he didn’t like.”
But Graham’s insistence on always being in the arena and willingness to talk to anyone meant — like his late mentor Sen. John McCain — he could create bridges where others couldn’t.
