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Isa Soares Tonight

Trump Delivers Eulogy At Lindsey Graham's Funeral; Trump Holds Private Meetings With Netanyahu And Zelenskyy; Elon Musk No Longer The Trillion Dollar Man; Funeral Services For The Longtime Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Underway At The Washington National Cathedral; President Trump Eulogizes Lindsey Graham; Almost 4k People Evacuated From Tourist Sites Near Bordeaux As Wildfires Rage In France And Spain. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired July 28, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello and welcome, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the funeral services for the longtime Republican

Senator Lindsey Graham, they're underway right now at the Washington National Cathedral.

U.S. lawmakers, as well as international leaders, are all in attendance. The President Donald Trump -- President Donald Trump is set to deliver a

eulogy in the next few minutes. We'll bring that to you live when he begins.

First, though, three leaders and two wars are in focus today at the White House with President Donald Trump earlier hosting meetings that could have

big stakes for the Middle East, Europe and beyond. Mr. Trump wrapped up private talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a short

while ago.

It was their first meeting since launching a war on Iran back in February. Mr. Netanyahu was expected to press for a tougher approach, as his

relationship with President Trump has become increasingly strained.

Earlier, Mr. Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine is looking for more air defenses in the war against Russia, as well

as help in advancing diplomatic efforts. The White House says both meetings were positive and productive.

President Zelenskyy and Mr. Netanyahu are both in Washington for that funeral of the Senator Lindsey Graham. Now, moments ago, the pair could be

seen speaking directly ahead of the service as well. Let's bring in the -- Robertson who is in Jerusalem, Kristen Holmes is at the White House.

Kristen, first of all, just take us through this extraordinary gathering of very senior people at the cathedral today.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, for this funeral, and that's part of why President Trump ended up hosting

some of these world leaders at the White House. They were coming in town for the funeral of Lindsey Graham, who had been an ally of both President

Zelenskyy's and of Bibi Netanyahu's.

One of the things that we have been reporting is that Netanyahu had been really trying to secure a meeting with President Trump for weeks, and the

President had not been willing to commit to that. There, you can see the leaders of this administration waiting for this funeral to begin.

President Trump is going to speak one of the most fascinating things about Senator Lindsey Graham, as particularly given his relationship with

President Trump, is that it could be quite acrimonious, but also the two of them were quite influential on each other.

They spent an enormous amount of time together, so of course, we're going to wait and see what it is that President Trump says when he gives this

tribute to the senator. I was told by people close to Trump that in the days after Graham's passing, which of course, was sudden, President Trump

was really down.

He was actually very impacted by this death, which is not something you see from President Trump a lot. I do want to quickly mention these two meetings

with these world leaders, both of them, the White House is saying were positive and productive, but very different feels going into these

meetings. Zelenskyy obviously has already issued a brief about what happened in the meeting, saying they talked about access to Patriot

missiles, and that they talked about reviving diplomacy.

But moments before Netanyahu went in for his meeting, President Trump was doing an interview on "Fox and Friends" where he kind of lashed out at

Netanyahu, saying, essentially, when it came to Netanyahu giving over any kind of Israeli Intelligence on nuclear sites in Iran, that he was just

doing it because he wanted the U.S. to stay engaged.

He wanted President Trump to stay engaged in the war, and then he went on to say that Netanyahu shouldn't have been broadcasting what he said over

Israel Intelligence found about Pickaxe Mountain, that they were trying to revive that nuclear site, saying he should have just told me.

Again, kind of saying, I don't need him to tell me what's going on in Iran, we have those same capabilities. So, it really goes to show you how

precarious that relationship has become.

FOSTER: Yes, Nic, Netanyahu going into this meeting, it's a different vibe, isn't it? Because, you know, I've seen some speculation that he may have

pushed harder for the war to escalate because he's looking ahead at his elections in October.

[14:05:00]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, look, his bit -- part of his unpopularity, and it has been increasing is because when the

war ended, President Trump ended it. And Israel, many commentators here felt like the Prime Minister had lost the ear of President Trump and his

ability to influence him, and that the war wasn't done.

And that's part of the Prime Minister's point in the meetings today is that, Iran is still a threat. Its nuclear capabilities are still a threat,

that it's a job undone. Although, what we're hearing from senior Israeli source here is that, this was an excellent and comprehensive meeting, how

it's being described essentially a meeting of minds that on the issue of Iran, where they're both in lockstep, they both reiterated ironclad

commitment that Iran will never have nuclear weapons.

So, you know, what's being projected from around the Prime Minister here is a positive meeting. It belies the tone that the President gave on that "Fox

and Friends" interview. However, we've also heard from the Defense Minister, Israel Katz, speaking on TV here a little earlier this evening,

saying that, yes, there are differences between what the United States and what Israel wants in the war with Iran.

And absolutely, they do see Iran still as being a threat. He also said something we haven't heard Israeli officials put on the record before, and

whether this was to sort of try to show a U.S. audience how much Israel is helping the United States at the moment, even though it's not engaged or

hasn't been engaged over the past few weeks in strikes on Iran.

He said that U.S. fighter jets have been taking off from Israel for their strike missions on Iran. Now, it was common knowledge that the U.S. refuel

tanker aircraft, the Stratotanker KC-135 were being based here in Israel and were being used to support that military operation.

But here he is putting on the record the Defense Minister here saying that actually U.S. fighter jets are taking off from here, which in a way puts

Israel in some level of jeopardy from response from Iran, which has not done that, and has been seen as a signal of Iran not wanting to escalate so

far.

So, the messaging, I think here is very much around the Prime Minister to project a positive image of a relationship -- a positive relationship with

President Trump, because Prime Minister Netanyahu needs that in the polls here and reaffirming here in Israel for a U.S. audience and a domestic one,

of course, that Israel is doing everything to support the United States in its war with Iran.

FOSTER: And Kristen, tell us a bit about Lindsey Graham, you obviously reported on him for many years. He was an extraordinary figure, one of the

few senators that was world famous, as well as very well known within the United States, getting involved in these issues and supporting both Ukraine

and Israel at the same time, which was quite an unusual position.

HOLMES: It was, and President Trump has called Lindsey Graham a war hawk. He has been, you know, one of these people who is pushing this war in Iran

who felt like he had the ear of the President, who was working with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to kind of try and secure President

Trump's ire against Iran.

And in the days and weeks leading up to the initial strikes that they both launched, Israel and the United States on Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu and

Lindsey Graham have had a very close relationship. Lindsey Graham has been to Israel many times, and even just recent videos that we've seen, emerging

after Lindsey Graham's death of him having such a close-knit relationship with Netanyahu, talking to him regularly on the phone.

When it came to Ukraine, this was a point where President Trump and Lindsey Graham had differed in the past. Lindsey Graham was trying for really over

a year to get that sanction that Russia sanctions bill passed. Then President Trump, after his death, said that they would work on it.

But it still seems as though he is waffling on it. President -- excuse me, Senator Lindsey Graham was very much a staunch anti-Russia senator,

somebody who could not believe or at least, could not work hard enough to try to convince President Trump to side with Ukraine in this war.

And we know at times was giving Zelenskyy tips on how to handle President Trump, something that is not easy for everyone to do.

FOSTER: OK, Kristen, Nic, thank you both very much. And that service with a quite extraordinary group of people watching on is underway, we'll bring

you the President's speech as it comes in.

[14:10:00]

Meanwhile, Japan's public broadcaster saying at least four people have been rescued from the rubble of a shopping mall following a major earthquake on

Tuesday. Several people were killed, others are still missing. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more now on the scale of the devastation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A calm afternoon turned to chaos as a powerful earthquake and a series of aftershocks rattled the

Japanese island of Kyushu on Tuesday. Buildings burned, this train overturned, a shrine wrecked and a bridge collapsed.

The full scale of the damage still being assessed around the epicenter in Japan's southern Kumamoto Prefecture. Inside the mangled wreckage of this

partially-collapsed shopping mall, several people were reported trapped after an explosion rocked the building following the quake.

Japan's public broadcaster "NHK" say. A wall of the historic Kumamoto Castle, a top tourist attraction, was also seen crumbling as the quake

struck. "How can I put it? I felt as if my body was hovering mid-air, so for a moment, I didn't realize it was an earthquake", this witness said.

It was only when I saw it collapse that it dawned on me that it was an earthquake. The castle was previously damaged in the 2016 earthquakes,

which killed nearly 300 people in Kumamoto and Oita Prefectures.

South of Kumamoto city, buildings and homes in Uki City and Yatsushiro City were also impacted. Thousands of homes were left without power and multiple

people were unaccounted for after this chimney collapsed at a paper factory in Yatsushiro city, "NHK" reported.

Japan's Meteorological Agency warning residents in areas that felt the biggest tremors to be prepared for further strong quakes and landslides in

the week ahead. Hanako Montgomery, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, earlier, we spoke to a seismologist who says without Japan's strict seismic building codes, the fallout from today's quake could have

been much worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY PARK, SEISMOLOGIST: The scale of the earthquake is important. The 110 years ago was somewhat larger than the one today, but it's important to

note that if there's going to be an earthquake of this size near an urban area, there will be damage and there will be some fatalities most likely.

And so, the system has to be resilient enough to try to minimize the fatalities, especially the fatalities, and then to keep all of the

infrastructure functioning so that the disaster does not go on for many days and weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Unprecedented evacuations, tens of thousands of hectares scorched, and another heatwave now on the way. That is the situation facing emergency

crews battling wildfires across parts of Europe, the world's fastest warming continent.

This is the aftermath of the biggest wildfire ever recorded in Spain, leaving a trail of destruction and blackened earth in Portugal's Guarda

district. Five firefighters were injured whilst tackling this blaze. Temperatures in Bordeaux, near France's biggest fire, are expected to soar

to 40 degrees Celsius tomorrow.

That's more than a 100 degrees Fahrenheit. And it's not just the extreme temperatures that are cause for concern right now. Air pollution in

Bordeaux spiking to six times the World Health Organization's safe level. Our Nada Bashir joins us live from Bordeaux in France. Nada?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're at the command center where first responders in the Gironde region near Bordeaux are gathered. They

have been here for days responding to nearby wildfires that have overtaken the forests and farmland in this region.

And while we had heard this morning from officials that much of those fires had been contained, although they were still tackling blazes across this

region. We have been hearing today that the intense temperatures have led to at least 14 incidents being recorded of fires restarting.

Now, those fires are said to have been again contained, but first responders, firefighters and emergency services are responding still to

blazes across this region. And we've been actually on a tour today with the fire brigade and emergency services around this region to get a sense of

the impact on the ground.

And we saw miles and miles of forest land completely scorched the earth beneath, still smoking from the intense heat that this region is now

facing. And of course, the intense heat left behind in the wake of those fires. But the fear is that, as the heatwave warning continues to set in,

and as we see rising temperatures over the coming days, that this may lead to further fires spreading in the region.

Of course, you can see this is a very busy environment right now. We do have first responders all around us at the moment, still working around the

clock to respond to these fires and also to look after residents of this area who have been forced to evacuate.

[14:15:00]

Now, at this particular center, there aren't any local residents, but the Gironde region has now seen more than 200,000 people forced to evacuate and

flee their homes. We have learned just in the last hour or so, that at least, three towns have been given the all-clear for residents to return to

their homes.

But there are still 20 large towns and cities that are still under that evacuation warning. And that evacuation zone could expand depending on how

far these fires continue to spread and expand. And the warning, of course, that we've been hearing from officials is for residents to take care to

evacuate as soon as they hear these warnings from officials, because, of course, these fires spread very quickly.

And of course, the pollution in the aftermath is also very strong and can be very dangerous. I tell you just here, the smoke is still thick and heavy

in the air in this area, despite the fires being tackled in the nearby vicinity. And of course, as you've been mentioning, this is of course,

deeply connected to climate change.

The soaring and sweltering temperatures that we are seeing now on a more regular basis here in Europe, on the continent. But we have been hearing

from France's Prime Minister, who has said that part of the blame is owed to carelessness, in his words.

So, people perhaps throwing out cigarette butts or misusing barbecues improperly. And so, there has been a call for local residents in areas that

are under these heat warnings to be extra careful during this time.

FOSTER: OK, Nada, thank you so much. We were just looking at those live images there from Bordeaux. The enormous amount of crews and also a lot of

support coming in from other parts of Europe. And they are talking about these fires lasting for months.

So, a thought for all of the firefighters and the emergency crews who are working round the clock to try to deal with these fires, and often the

roads are blocked, so, it's becoming really impossible for many of them.

Earlier, I spoke with a member of the NGO French Popular Relief, they've been helping those who have been forced to leave their homes because of the

wildfires in and around Bordeaux. She shares some of the positives, though, coming out of this crisis, including communities inundating relief centers

with supplies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISE TOUSSAINT, NATIONAL BUREAU MEMBER, FRENCH POPULAR RELIEF: Our association is a solidarity association, and we are happy because there is

so much people who want to help the ones who are having to leave their houses.

And so, we are organizing all the prospect to have water for these people, to have food, to have material, to help them, to help also the fire worker,

the firemen. And it's very hard because all the roads are closed or mostly main roads are closed and we can feel the smoke everywhere.

There is people very desperate because they have to leave their houses suddenly in some minutes. So, they just take what they have on the body.

They don't have anything else. So, even not people -- even not something to brush their hair, you know, just their clothes they have when the fire come

and the police came and say, you have to leave now.

And it's emergency. So, we have now organized -- we are now organizing everything with the French people, the tourist people also who are here in

the area, and we are collecting everything that the people need.

FOSTER: You know, you made an appeal for help because the roads are closed off, so, you have to rely on the local community to help bring the

materials you need. But you're actually turning people away now, that's pretty extraordinary, isn't it?

So, what sort of things have they been bringing over to you that you haven't actually needed at this point?

TOUSSAINT: At this point, in fact, we have everything. We have more than everything what we need in the material things. We have so much that we

have to say to the people, no, we cannot take anything again.

Even the place where the people are to sleep, have to say, no, please, don't give us something else because there is too much things, there is too

much generosity with material things. Now, we need money. We need money to help the people after to prepare the after when the fire will be stopped.

Now, after this time, we will need money to yes, to help them to live again, to find a house again. Even if the house is burned, then we will

help them with the money to rebuild it. There is also people that they cannot work anymore because they don't have any transportation anymore.

They don't have -- well, a place to stay, to sleep, to wear, all the memory where they don't have it anymore. So, we have to help them to rebuild a new

-- a new life. We speak about 225 houses who disappeared in the fire, and it's more hard for us because also our locals, some of them are burned too.

So, we have to help them. And we are in the same situation than these people. This is why the solidarity is so --

FOSTER: Yes --

TOUSSAINT: Big.

[14:20:00]

FOSTER: As you say, people just had to literally walk out their houses just with each other and pets, I think, because they couldn't take anything with

them. The fire was moving so quickly. What was the saddest story you've had there about people coming in to you?

TOUSSAINT: There is old people who have to leave their houses where they let all the souvenirs, where they take time. They take years and decades to

buy the houses where they have family souvenirs, and suddenly, everything is burned and they have to sleep somewhere else, and for them, it's

devastating.

And we know that maybe these people, they can refuse to continue to live more. You know what I mean? That they can let their life simply stop

because they feel so dispirited, like all their life is burned, you know, not just the houses, it's more than words.

FOSTER: Yes, it's an absolute tragedy. But thank you so much, Lise, for taking time out from that crucial work to speak to us, really appreciate

it. Thank you so much.

TOUSSAINT: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's take you to Washington, Lindsey Graham's funeral service is taking place right now at the National Cathedral. President Trump amongst

those speaking in that event, that's going to happen at any moment we think.

Following the service, Graham's body will be taken back to his native South Carolina where he will be laid to rest. Let's go to CNN congressional

correspondent Lauren Fox, who is there. We're looking at these images, Lauren, it says so much about the man when you look at the high level of

the delegation there today.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, there are Republican senators who he served with for years, there are Democratic

senators who traveled abroad with him on so many occasions. And of course, the President of the United States there, the President of Ukraine,

Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as Israel, Bibi Netanyahu in the audience there.

And I think that, that does really tell a story of the legacy that the senior senator from South Carolina possessed. And that was something that

he wanted to be in the mix. He wanted to constantly be traveling.

He wanted to make it clear that the U.S. deserved a place on the world stage, that the U.S. could not retreat from that role. And that was

something that he made such a priority that after a really bitter primary race against President Trump in the primary in 2016, he ended up coming to

a place where he and Donald Trump became very close friends.

And he used that friendship as both a way to give the President advice and to make sure that the President understood his own worldview. And you can

see that in the way that the U.S. has continued support for Ukraine and its war against Russia, you can see that as evidence in the U.S.' continued

conflict with Iran.

And, you know, multiple lawmakers, whether they were Republicans or Democrats who I spoke to said, you know, in some ways, Senator Graham was a

shadow Secretary of State. He rarely used a congressional recess to relax. He often was on a plane headed somewhere, wherever he felt like the U.S.

needed to continue building relationships.

And there was this really remarkable story that Senator Richard Blumenthal told me about, he had worked with Graham to ensure aid for Ukraine, in

which he said that in the morning of that now very public meeting between President Trump, Zelenskyy and J.D. Vance, that did not go well in the

White House, that they had met with Zelenskyy at Blair House, just a couple of steps from the White House.

And giving him some very clear advice that he needed to continue to be cool, calm and collected in the meeting with Donald Trump. Senator

Blumenthal said he then left the premises and watched on national television as that meeting collapsed in live time.

And he said in that moment, the first thing he thought of was he needed to get Senator Graham on the phone because he was the only person, he believed

could fix that.

FOSTER: OK, Lauren, appreciate it. Let's listen to the President of the United States speaking there at Lindsey Graham's funeral.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much. Vice President Vance, members of the cabinet, members of the House and Senate,

distinguished guests, Darline and the entire Graham family, we love you all.

Today, we gather in the deepest gratitude and 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.

[14:25:00]

And that can only be the one and only Lindsey Graham. By the strength of his steadfast convictions, the force of his magnetic personality and the

goodness of his noble soul, Lindsey rose from a small town in rural South Carolina, a place he loved so much to become a constant fixture of American

politics at the highest level, and a force to be reckoned with all over the world.

For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capitol without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened

anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it.

And no bill became law in the most exceptional Republican human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it. He was a man who gave America

the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out.

But even though, Lindsey's life was cut short while he was still so full of vim and vigor, there can be no doubt that he lived absolutely to the

fullest. He died doing the work he was born to do. He was truly a great politician, serving the country he loved to serve so deeply.

He went out at the peak of his career and at the top of his game as a legend that every one of us, many of us here today, blessed to know him and

a friend that none of us will ever forget. There was truly nobody like Lindsey Graham.

It was his hometown of central South Carolina that Lindsey first learned the art of politics. His parents ran a bar and pool hall on main street

with a room in the back where the family spent and had to do as Lindsey said, his father taught him the key to being a successful bar owner is that

you have to be funny enough that people will keep coming back, and that you have to be tough enough that you can stay in business and thrive.

A very difficult combination. For his entire storied career, that's exactly who Lindsey Graham was. He was the first person to make you laugh, and one

of the last people that you've really ever wanted to fight. These were the traits that made him into one of the great figures in Senate history.

A few like him. As a boy, Lindsey also learned his first lessons in diplomacy when the wife of one regular patron called the bar, asking for

her husband, she demanded to know, where is he? The man instructed Lindsey, tell her, I'm not here.

And young Lindsey nodded and said into the phone to the wife, he said to tell you that he's not here.

(LAUGHTER)

That was Lindsey. When Lindsey was just 20 years old, he lost his mom to cancer, 15 months later, he lost his dad, their deaths left his 13-year-old

sister, Darline, an orphan, but in God's mercy, she had her wonderful brother to take care of her.

On top of it all, Lindsey became her guardian while still in college and helped raise her. He later said that for all his achievements -- and he had

many. His single proudest accomplishment in life was how well Darline turned out. He had total respect and love for Darline.

Nothing could be more fitting than that woman who was Lindsey's proudest legacy now continues his legacy of service in the U.S. Senate, a place that

he cherished. And I have no doubt that he's looking down today, beaming with pride at his sister, Senator Darline Graham. Thank you, senator.

Lindsey first stormed into Washington with the Republican revolution of 1994, becoming the first Republican to win his House district in 120 years.

That was Lindsey. In 2002, he ran for the Senate in what should have been a loss, and he swept to an easy victory.

Lindsey 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.

[14:30:10]

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. Had 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 for a second. He was a tough cookie, darling, 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 10:00 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. And 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.

They're 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? The 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. And I remember the number, 202-228-0292, if anybody wants to give it a

shot.

[14:35:00]

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, oh, 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, it's 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 glass 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.

FOSTER: Very personal eulogy there coming from the president of the United States, Lindsey Graham's funeral, the late senator, an extraordinary lineup

of Cabinet members, the prime minister of Israel, the president of Ukraine, all there paying tribute to him as the president walks past his casket

there.

The president talked about the senator going out on the peak of his career, describing him as a legend. Truly no one like Lindsey Graham, said

President Trump. He was the first person to make you laugh, and the last you wanted to fight. We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:00]

FOSTER: So, we're going to return to our top story now. Diplomatic efforts today at the White House involving three world leaders. President Trump met

with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They were expected to discuss the war in Iran and progress to end fighting in Lebanon, but it was

a closed-door meeting.

Separately, Trump met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy, who is seeking to produce his own air defense systems. They were both in

Washington for today's Lindsey Graham funeral. The senator was a leading voice for U.S. support of both Israel and Ukraine.

For more on the meeting, particularly about Ukraine, though, let's join Evelyn Farkas. She's the executive director of the McCain Institute and a

former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. Thank you for joining us. I mean, it would have been great to have

a camera in either of these meetings, right? When you think back particularly to that famous Zelenskyy, I mean, what do we call it, you

know, that attack he received from the U.S. Cabinet. But they do seem to be getting on better now, and the feedback we're getting from these meetings

is positive.

EVELYN FARKAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MCCAIN INSTITUTE: Yes, that's right, Max. I think, you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu probably didn't want

cameras in the meeting because the difference between the United States and Israel on next steps right now, what to do, you know, to bring the Iran war

to a close is something that I don't think Prime Minister Netanyahu would have wanted highlighted in the public.

On the other hand, I think President Zelenskyy might have been happy to have an open conversation out in the public with President Trump because

he's never been stronger in the eyes of the U.S. president. And certainly Ukraine, as you know, to paraphrase President Trump, has a lot of cards.

FOSTER: Do you think President Trump has changed his view of Zelenskyy since he, I mean, we can't say Ukraine's winning, but they're certainly

fighting back very effectively right now?

FARKAS: Right. I mean, Ukraine definitely seems to have the upper hand when it comes to momentum. And I'm not talking so much about what's going on on

the ground, you know, on the front line, but more to the point what Ukraine's doing with their long-range drone strikes, taking out oil

refineries, essentially cutting off logistics flow to Crimea, which is a base, a military base, for all intents and purposes.

And of course, Russia's economy is being strained by what Ukraine's doing and the sanctions, which are set now to get stronger in light of the

sanctions legislation that Lindsey Graham championed that President Trump is likely to sign.

[14:45:00]

So, absolutely, Ukraine looks like it's on course to win. Russia looks weak, relatively speaking. And so, President Trump, I don't know that he's

changed his mind about Zelenskyy as a person, but certainly we know that he likes to back winners.

FOSTER: Yes. And, you know, when we're remembering Lindsey Graham, he was obviously came to blows with the president over Russia in the early days.

He was very, I don't want to say anti-Russian, but very critical of the Russians, wasn't he? And he felt that the president wasn't being critical

enough. And perhaps that's something that obviously Zelenskyy appreciates as well. With all of this in the president's mind, could there be a point

at which he does get tougher with Russia?

FARKAS: It's possible. Look, yes, as you said, Lindsey Graham was side by side with John McCain. When John McCain said that Putin is, you know, a KGB

guy, dressed up as the Russian president, they understood clearly what this government, what this Russia was all about. So, I would say he was anti-

Kremlin and anti-Putin. And I think President Trump could be persuaded to take a stance that's more friendly towards Ukraine.

We also see some of the right-wing influencers, people like Laura Loomer, who's not a household name, but she's somebody who President Trump listens

to. She went to Ukraine and she came back with an assessment that the United States and President Trump should support President Zelenskyy more

wholeheartedly.

FOSTER: OK. Evelyn Parkas, really appreciate -- Farkas, really appreciate you joining us today. It's been a fascinating day in Washington, hasn't it?

We'll get the readouts, I'm sure, of the meetings later on as well. Thank you for joining us. We'll be back after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Elon Musk has lost his trillionaire status. The founder and CEO of SpaceX has seen his net worth shrink by roughly $600 billion. And that's

because SpaceX shares have sunk from their post-IPO peak. Meanwhile, investors are wondering if a merger with Tesla could be on the horizon.

Matt Egan has more on what led up to SpaceX's declining stock value.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Look, it's just been a wild ride for Elon Musk and his net worth. And yes, SpaceX this summer.

[14:50:00]

I mean, just six weeks ago, SpaceX was flying high. And that pushed up Elon Musk's net worth above $1.3 trillion. Yes, trillion with a T. Flash forward

to today, and that net worth is now just above $700 billion. So, as you noted, what that means, we're talking about paper losses exceeding $600

billion.

I mean, these numbers are just absolutely incredible. Some context, a loss of $600 billion, that's basically what ExxonMobil is worth. And that is how

much Elon Musk's fortune has taken a hit in just the past six weeks. So, yes, this is all about SpaceX. It's the fact that the stock price is down

by more than 30 percent from its close on the day it went public. It's down even more from the highs earlier last month.

And so, this is happening for a few different reasons, right? SpaceX, this was a record setting IPO, and it really did award the company just

astronomical valuations. And so, now there is this reality check going on where some of the SpaceX skeptics, some of the bears here, they're

concerned about just how much money the company has to spend to fund its business and how much borrowing they're going to have to do to get that

cash.

There's also concerns about the fact that some of those lockup restrictions that have prevented employees and insiders from selling, those restrictions

lift starting next week. So, that could put some more pressure on this company. And don't forget, I mean, they're getting caught up in this

broader A.I.-related selloff where we've seen the shares of a number of different technology, chip makers, other A.I. companies, they've all taken

a significant hit in recent days and weeks. And that is what is happening to SpaceX as well.

But look, we should note here that skeptics, they've been proven wrong over time and again by Elon Musk. He has beaten back those skeptics. He's proven

them wrong. And there are some on Wall Street who do believe that SpaceX can turn this around. Similar to how Facebook started its life as a public

company off on the wrong foot, right? And they had some significant losses as well before eventually getting back on track.

I should just note as well that we obviously shouldn't feel too bad for Elon Musk because he is still the richest person on the planet by a long

shot, right? His net worth, more than $700 billion. Some context, that is more than twice the number two person on the world's rich list, that's

Larry Page, the Google co-founder. Elon Musk is worth way more than that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Matt Egan reporting for us there now. Savannah Guthrie, host of NBC's Today Show, has posted a new emotional plea for information about her

mother, Nancy, who was taken from her Arizona home in February. CNN's Jason Carroll has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, HOST, NBC'S "TODAY": It has been months since our mom was taken from us. Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not

end. Nothing about our situation has changed.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A new heartfelt plea coming from Savannah Guthrie.

GUTHRIE: The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place. And I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So, I'm asking you, begging you

to do the right thing now.

CARROLL (voice-over): Guthrie posted the emotional message today on Instagram, the same platform the family has released many of its messages

to the public ever since Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's mother, disappeared nearly six months ago. Days after her kidnapping, the family received its

first ransom note, unknown publicly at the time, but revealed last week by crime journalist, Briana Whitney, on the Crime Junkie podcast.

That note to the Guthries said, we have your mother, Nancy. She is safe, but scared. She will be held for ransom. And once payment is received, she

will be released unharmed.

Whitney says the note referred to details about Guthrie's Arizona home, including a smartwatch in her bedroom and a damaged floodlight in the

backyard to validate its authenticity.

BRIANA WHITNEY, CRIME JOURNALIST: I'm going to read you three more parts of this ransom note.

CARROLL (voice-over): Whitney says the note also indicated Guthrie would be held for a maximum of seven days and went on to say, if the payment is not

received by the last deadline, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. You will not be able to contact me from

here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.

Just last month, CNN reported on the contents of another note that the Guthries received back in February. That note said Guthrie died shortly

after the kidnapping, that according to law enforcement sources. Whitney said the author also wrote, we never intended to hurt her and that they

were truly sorry.

[14:55:00]

The last time the family reportedly saw Nancy Guthrie was about 9:45 p.m. on January 31st. That's when a family member dropped her off at her Tucson

home after dinner. The 84-year-old was reported missing around noon the next day when she didn't show up at a friend's house to watch a church

service online. On February 4th, the Guthrie family's first public plea.

GUTHRIE: On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy. We feel them and we continue to believe

that she feels them too. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you'll see.

CARROLL (voice-over): On February 10th, the FBI released doorbell camera footage showing what it described as a masked armed individual outside the

home the morning she disappeared. Still, authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or a motive in the investigation. Now, six months

later, another plea for closure.

GUTHRIE: I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing. Help us bring this situation to an end.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Thank you for watching tonight. I'll have more "What We Know" coming up in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END