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The Funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 28, 2026 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:30:00]

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He quickly became a master at maneuvering in one of the world's great legislative bodies. He secured record funding for our military as a budget committee chairman. He delivered the largest investment in border security in history.

And last year, he shepherded the passage of the largest tax cuts in American history. The great, Big, Beautiful Bill. A lot of Lindsey goodies in there too, I can tell you.

And of course, he was also a great champion of the United States Supreme Court. His impassioned defense of a wonderful person, a great gentleman, Justice Kavanaugh, ended a disgraceful attack on this very good man and gave us one of the greatest moments the Senate has ever seen. It was a truly monumental moment in Senate history.

I believe it was Lindsey's perhaps finest hour. But no matter how heated things got in Washington, virtually everyone, Republican or Democrat, liked Lindsey. Well, not everybody, but it sounds good.

Not everybody. He was a tough cookie. OK, I have to be, I have to veer from this first.

He was a tough cookie, Darlene. But he was beautiful. But he was also ready with a joke and a gleam in his eye.

After being lectured on the excruciating details of patent law by a fellow senator during a flight, Lindsey declared that he had discovered a new form of enhanced interrogation and torture for the Guantanamo Bay area. He said, this is really bad stuff and boring. And while he was an incredibly hard worker, he was not exactly an early riser, as many of you know.

When Senator Tim Scott, a great gentleman in his own right, I can tell you, invited him to prayer breakfast at 8:30 a.m., Lindsey told him, Tim, if Jesus himself comes back before 10 a.m., I ain't going. Yet, while he was always quick to laugh and no one ever doubted the gravity of his mission, above all, Lindsey Graham believed in a strong America, wanted a strong America. He had unwavering faith in the righteousness of American power and prayer.

He was extremely hawkish. 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. It was this conviction that led him to serve 33 years in uniform in the Air Force and Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard, even while he was in office. And it was this conviction that took him as a senator to almost every country on Earth, confronting America's adversaries and standing up for America's friends.

He had tremendous friendships all over the world. 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. Lindsey met countless world leaders, yet wherever he went, he was always the same Lindsey Graham when he met Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in a tent in the desert.

He told him, I expected something out of the Arabian Nights. This looks more like a Winnebago. That was not a good statement to make at the time.

And when he met the Dalai Lama, Lindsey looked him straight in the eyes and said, so can you really levitate? Dalai Lama was not happy with that. But no matter how high he rose, he never forgot where he came from.

There's probably not a single town in South Carolina where Lindsey did not help repair a bridge, expand a school, improve a hospital, or recover from a disaster. He was a force of nature, and I will miss him greatly. As you remember, Lindsey and I did not exactly get off to the best of starts, running against each other.

Back in 2016, Lindsey said something rather nasty on his flight to becoming the next president of the United States. So naturally, I did something that I shouldn't have done. 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.

[14:35:00]

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. 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 all for one day, we became great friends.

And Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years. It was not easy. I always cherish the memories of our golf games and only because of his really, and I will say this memorial service is so hard to say.

A memorial service for Lindsey, it's hard to say. But I'll admit that one time Lindsey Graham and Annika Sorenstam actually beat me and Gary Player together. Can you believe that? Annika played very well that day actually.

But right to the end, Lindsey carried in his golf bag, the putter that once belonged to his dad. And he carried it with him with class and with a ring that was so beautiful of his mother. And they were laying right at his bedside. The night he died, they were there. He had them with him at all times.

From that pool hall where his parents raised him to the halls of the United States Senate where he was respected and loved. The son of South Carolina became one of the most important men in the most important country on earth. In a city 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.

He took his duty seriously without taking himself too seriously. He was unwavering in his principles, but always willing to listen. He always wanted to listen.

And one thing about Lindsey that we all know, he never quit. You wanted him to quit. You waited for him to quit. But he would never quit.

Above all, Lindsey Graham loved America and he believed in the American people. If you shared that view, you had a friend in Lindsey. If you didn't share it, there was no fiercer or more constant opponent.

Our nation needs more men and women like that great person sitting, laying wherever he may be. I think I know where he is and I think he's up there. I think he's watching us. I'm pretty sure of it.

Scripture tells us that blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life. For 71 years, Lindsey Graham was strong and steadfast. As a brother, a senator, a warrior, and a patriot, he withstood every last test, every single test that you can go through and every trial. And now he wears the crown of life in heaven, reunited with his parents and reunited with his Lord.

I end by saying something very, very special. Lindsey, we love you. God bless you.

We will always be with you. And you were very, very special. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We've been listening to President Trump give his tribute to late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. The president there talking about honoring a beloved friend, a devoted brother, a giant of the Senate, somebody called a true American original, saying there was no one like Lindsey Graham. He also talked about how Graham took over care for his younger sister after the passing of their parents when they were both relatively young.

His sister was a teenager, if not a preteen. Graham was only 19 years old. Trump relaying there that he later said that for all of his achievements, and Graham had many, his single proudest accomplishment was how well Darlene turned out.

She is now, of course, serving in the U.S. Senate in her brother's seat.

Trump also notably having a moment of levity talking about he and Graham not getting off to the best start in 2016. And after some nasty remarks back and forth, I forgot that President Trump posted Lindsey Graham's number online, said his number during an interview that people started inundating the late senator's cell phone with calls back then.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Yes, he handled it really the best way that I think he could at the time.

And made it -- Dave, did I can't --

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DAVE WILSON, SOUTH CAROLINA POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Turned it into a television campaign ad and literally taking his phone and breaking it and throwing it because he wanted to be able to say, listen, I'm not beholden to anybody. And if you want to keep calling me, feel free, but it's not going to be going through anymore.

KEILAR: Yes, it was a defining moment of that election for sure. And it's aged a little different now, and it's memorialized here today during his funeral service.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. I mean, for Lindsey Graham, it elevated him at the time because Donald Trump was talking about Lindsey Graham and giving out his number. But it was the beginning of a friendship, there's no doubt.

But to hear President Trump talk about that from the Canterbury pulpit there at the Washington National Cathedral certainly was striking. But I was also really struck by this word from the president. He said, "Lindsey Graham was the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people you really ever wanted to fight."

So Lindsey Graham clearly had the president's ear a lot and tried to steer him toward some policy there. But this was just one chapter of Lindsey Graham's life here. He had a pre-chapter before Donald Trump was in office.

KEILAR: Right.

ZELENY: And that's what I'm thinking about here as well on immigration reform. He was a central player in that. So John McCain, whose funeral was in this very spot almost eight years ago in September, it'll be eight years, certainly was a big part of Lindsey Graham's first chapter.

But as we hear the cathedral choir singing, we shall walk through the valley in peace. Certainly look at the president's moment there. He's clearly thinking about his friend, Lindsey Graham.

KEILAR: Yes, and as he'd walked up to give his eulogy, his tribute, he sort of patted the casket, which was --

ZELENY: On the way down as well.

KEILAR: Yes, it was an interesting moment there. To your point, though, Jeff, this was a gracious tribute he gave, funny at times, also a little bit incomplete, as you noted, because Lindsey Graham did have this long career in Washington.

And I just think so much of John McCain. I can't not think of that, Dave, as I think of Lindsey Graham and how he was a definitive character for Lindsey Graham. And it's interesting to kind of think of him today.

You're not going to hear President Trump, of course, mention John McCain, who he had no affinity for. But I wonder how you're sort of reflecting on Lindsey Graham in the era of John McCain. And then we see this Lindsey Graham in the era of President Trump.

WILSON: I think John McCain recognized something in Lindsey Graham, an ability for somebody who could step into a role. He mentored him. He guided him.

The two were best of friends. They spent all sorts of time together. And when McCain was running for president, Lindsey was with him day in and day out, especially during the early primary days, with, of course, South Carolina being an early primary state, was a huge focus.

And their relationship was so central. And again, it is, how can he be closest to those who can make sure that he can get things done? And that was what his focus was.

ZELENY: And looking at J.D. Vance there, I mean, clearly, Senator Graham would have been very helpful to whatever comes next for Vice President J.D. Vance as well. And the president talked extensively about Senator Darlene Graham. It was not the time to give a campaign ad, but I would not be surprised if that is in a campaign ad because she is on the ballot.

There's a fundraiser for her this evening in Washington. August 11th, she has a very unusual Republican primary for her race there. So the president very much wants her to win.

That will be a test for him as well.

SANCHEZ: And perhaps in that way, we'll see a continuation of the legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham. We'll continue watching the proceedings at the National Cathedral with more tributes to the late South Carolina senator. We're going to take a quick break.

More coverage straight ahead.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KEILAR: We have been watching the funeral service at the National Cathedral for the late Senator Lindsey Graham. We just watched President Trump give his tribute, which was brief and touching and gracious and funny. It was a very disciplined speech that he gave, clearly a lot of work went into writing it.

There were moments of levity. You could tell that the folks there who listened to it really did enjoy it, and they felt that it paid Lindsey Graham the respect that he was due. So right now, I think it is Sean Hannity who is doing his tribute.

So let's talk a little bit as that is underway and we continue to monitor that. You were saying, Dave, someone obviously very familiar, very entrenched in South Carolina politics and Lindsey Graham and familiar with his career. He had an interesting thing about him, Lindsey Graham, which was he could get away with things.

He could. Tell us about that specific anecdote.

WILSON: While we were in the break a little while ago, we were listening to part of Sean Hannity's eulogy, and he actually made the statement. He said, there are certain words that I can't say here in a cathedral that Lindsey Graham could use voraciously and did. Lindsey could use language.

KEILAR: He had a mouth.

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WILSON: He had a mouth. He may have been in the Air Force, but he swore like a sailor. And in that particular case, it was interesting. Back in 2014, there was something that had gone on in a hearing one time, and he just cussed somebody out on national TV.

And it was amazing to watch poll numbers in South Carolina go up during the race because everybody's response was, you're damn right, Lindsey. And he could speak in a language that the average person could feel, not just hear it, they could feel it. And they knew that Lindsey was feeling it and feeling it for them.

ZELENY: And he just won his primary, as you know well, Dave, just a month ago in June. He won his primary for reelection to another term in South Carolina. And that is another reason that he was very practical.

He wanted to be an effective senator, and by being an effective senator, he had to win primary elections. And that meant being on the side of President Trump. So his view of -- his kind of evolution -- we were talking about John McCain earlier -- his evolution from being one of the three amigos with Joe Lieberman and John McCain, to being one of President Trump's closest friends.

It makes more sense when you think of it through the lens of a senator who wanted to keep his job so he could be an effective senator for the world. And that was becoming part of this Republican Party. But if you think about it, he really spans the pre-Trump era, certainly was very close to the Bush administration and President Bush, and certainly to President Trump as well.

But again, watching President Trump, I think this is a way we have not seen him much of because he's not frankly invited to give many eulogies. During John McCain's funeral in 2018, of course, it was President Bush and President Obama who were the bookend, who gave the eulogies there, President Trump was not invited. So this is a moment of a reflection for him as well, but we'll be hearing shortly from one of his nieces from South Carolina.

Again, a lot of South Carolina imprint on this because that is who he was, it's who sent him to office and was on the verge of doing so again until his untimely death.

WILSON: And it was very interesting because Lindsey did not mind. The more the merrier when it came to opposition. In 2014, he had five or six people running against him. He was like, that's great, bring them on.

ZELENY: It splits up the vote a little bit, right?

WILSON: It split up the opposition. But he would take it with 50, 60 percent, 55 to 60 percent easily, which we do politics. We understand it's 50 plus one.

And Lindsey understood that.

SANCHEZ: As Jeff was speaking about him being a senator for the world, we were showing live images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nodding there. One of two major world leaders in attendance, you see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy there sort of tucked behind the DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. And both of those leaders had meetings at the White House today.

I keep thinking about Zelenskyy's visit to the White House in February of this year, Jeff, when things blew up in such proportions that there was an open question about U.S. support for Ukraine moving forward. And it was notable in reviewing today's notes being reminded that it was Senator Lindsey Graham who went to Blair House, where Zelenskyy was staying, not far from the White House, to sort of coach him on how to rebuild his relationship with President Trump.

ZELENY: Absolutely. And Senator Graham and some other senators actually met with President Zelenskyy at the Hay-Adams right near the White House right before the meeting. And he did not allow President Zelenskyy to leave town without effectively saying he's sorry.

He didn't quite apologize in those words. But that was an extraordinary day. You know, that really was an amazing opening to President Trump's return back to the Oval Office.

We saw that extraordinary blowup between Vance and President Trump. But it was Senator Lindsey Graham who sort of got things back on track there. And also, amazingly, I mean, he was in Ukraine the day before he died.

He had just flown back. And President Trump had just spoken with Lindsey Graham just in an hour or two before he passed. So it's quite notable there.

Also, just the converse relationships of how Prime Minister Netanyahu's power is now versus Zelenskyy. Netanyahu is very much coming to Washington this week in not a position of power that he was a year ago. So a switch in the dynamic there.

And Senator Lindsey Graham would have been at the middle of these meetings with the Prime Minister as well as the Ukrainian president.

KEILAR: Yes, that's such a good point. All right, let's everyone stand by as we are monitoring the funeral of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. We'll get in a quick break here.

We'll be right back with more.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We are watching tributes today in Washington for the late Senator Lindsey Graham funeral service happening right now inside the National Cathedral, not far from the Capitol, where Graham spent three decades representing the state of South Carolina.

KEILAR: He was known for his fiercely hawkish foreign policy views, his humor and his work ethic. Graham was a longtime friend to many in the Senate on both sides of the aisle. And a short time ago, President Trump said this about his passing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He died doing the work he was born to do. He was truly a great politician ...

END