Lindsey Graham funeral draws Trump and world leaders in Washington
Donald Trump spoke at Lindsey Graham’s funeral as US officials and foreign leaders gathered at Washington National Cathedral.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
The Lindsey Graham funeral brought President Donald Trump, senior US officials and foreign leaders to Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported. The service mattered beyond Washington because Graham, a South Carolina Republican, had spent decades shaping debates over US foreign policy, spending and the courts.
Hundreds of mourners attended the service for Graham, who died unexpectedly on July 11, according to Al Jazeera. EPA photo captions said Graham died after a brief illness at age 71.
Who attended Lindsey Graham's funeral?
Al Jazeera reported that Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Eric Trump and Lara Trump were among those at the service. Images distributed by EPA, Reuters, AFP and AP showed the group seated together during the ceremony.
Foreign leaders also attended. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several other world leaders were at the cathedral; AP photos also showed Finnish President Alexander Stubb speaking with Zelenskyy before the service.
AP images showed Netanyahu speaking with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the funeral. Reuters photographed mourners inside the cathedral and Senator Darline Graham, identified as Lindsey Graham’s sister, on the day of the service.
What did Trump say about Graham?
Trump delivered remarks at the funeral, Al Jazeera reported, describing Graham as a force in US politics and world affairs. Trump called him “a beloved friend” and said Graham “died doing the work he was born to do.”
“For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it,” Trump said, according to Al Jazeera. Trump also said Graham gave the country “the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out.”
Who was Lindsey Graham?
Graham entered the US House in 1994 after winning South Carolina’s third congressional district, Al Jazeera reported. He was elected to the Senate in 2002 and won re-election in 2008, 2014 and 2020.
Al Jazeera reported that Graham recently chaired the Senate Budget Committee. He also served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Graham was closely aligned with Trump, according to Al Jazeera, and was a prominent Republican voice on national security. Al Jazeera described him as a strong supporter of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and said he had long advocated military action against Iran.
Al Jazeera also reported that Graham was a longtime supporter of Israel and backed Trump’s war on Iran. In planned documentary footage cited by Al Jazeera, Graham told filmmakers he “almost cried” after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran in February.
Graham also spoke in support of Ukraine after Russia invaded in 2022, according to Al Jazeera. The presence of Zelenskyy, Netanyahu and other leaders at the funeral underscored the international reach of the policy fights in which Graham had been deeply involved.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.