Some of the world’s most prominent leaders are set to come together in Washington on Tuesday to pay their final respects to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died unexpectedly from a heart condition on July 11 at age 71.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are both expected to be present at the funeral, a reflection of Graham’s tireless efforts to rally American support for both nations during their respective conflicts. President Donald Trump is also scheduled to deliver remarks at the Washington National Cathedral following a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
Graham and Trump had a complicated history. Early in Trump’s political rise, Graham was one of his harshest critics — famously calling the future president a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” on CNN during the 2016 presidential race. Yet Graham ultimately became one of Trump’s most loyal Senate allies, and the two frequently played golf together.
A defense-minded senator known for pushing an active U.S. role in global affairs, Graham was a consistent and vocal supporter of both Israel and Ukraine. Just one day before his death, he met with Zelenskiy in Kyiv — his tenth trip to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion. In his final days, Graham was working to advance a bipartisan package of new sanctions against Russia, a measure the Senate is now preparing to vote on.
Graham had also been a frequent presence on cable television news programs, regularly defending the Trump administration’s policies, including the unpopular Iran war in recent months.
On the political front, Graham had been campaigning for a fifth Senate term after securing the South Carolina Republican primary in June. Following his death, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve out the remainder of his term. She has since announced a bid for a full six-year term in November with Trump’s backing. Her Democratic opponent, pediatrician Annie Andrews, faces a steep climb in a state that leans heavily Republican.
The Graham siblings shared a close bond forged through hardship. After their parents passed away while Darline was still young, Lindsey Graham stepped in as her guardian.
Before his Senate career, Graham served as an Air Force lawyer and a member of South Carolina’s Air National Guard. He also held seats in the state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives before first winning his Senate seat in 2002.
In addition to Tuesday’s Washington services, Graham will have a funeral in South Carolina on Wednesday, where he will be buried.
