Hundreds of mourners paid their respects on Monday, July 28, 2026, to the late Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina in Washington, DC. Graham, a Republican lawmaker and close ally of former President Donald Trump, unexpectedly died on July 11, 2026.

Graham’s political career began in 1994 when he was elected to the US House of Representatives for South Carolina’s third congressional district. He was elected to the US Senate in 2002 and subsequently re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Known for his strong support of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Graham also advocated for military action against Iran. In a planned documentary, he revealed he “almost cried” after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran in February 2026. Additionally, he vocally supported Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

At the funeral, Donald Trump described Graham as "a force in politics," stating, “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 republic in human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”

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