Thune remembers Graham as ‘towering figure’ at Capitol ceremony

Washington — Sen. Lindsey Graham is being remembered by his fellow senators as a “towering figure” in the Senate and on the international stage, the Senate majority leader said Tuesday at a private Capitol ceremony Tuesday morning.  

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said of Graham, “I feel his absence every day,” and he noted that “senators on both sides of the aisle counted on him as a friend.”

The ceremony at the U.S. Capitol preceded Graham’s funeral later Tuesday afternoon at National Cathedral. President Trump will deliver a eulogy, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are also expected to attend the funeral. 

At the Capitol, Graham’s remains were carried by an Armed Forces Body Bearer team to honor his Air Force service, followed by a U.S. Capitol Police memorial guard in a nod to his tenure in the Senate. 

Graham, a four-term senator known for his hawkishness on foreign policy, was a key player in a number of major bipartisan agreements before his death on July 11. He had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he visited Zelenskyy and told him of plans for new U.S. sanctions and tariffs against Russia. A medical examiner determined Graham’s cause of death was an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was 71. 

Thune said of Graham that on numerous congressional delegations abroad, “I saw firsthand just how much he was respected by our allies, and just how well he was able to connect with foreign leaders around the globe.” 

He also praised Graham’s interactions with service members. “Striking, too, was the instant connection he had with the military men and women that we met,” he said. “They recognized his immediately as one of their own.” Before Graham entered politics, he served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the Air Force.

The majority leader also noted that Graham was involved in issues that might seem to have little in common. He was at once a “powerful voice for the pro-life movement” and a “fierce defender of Ukraine.” In both issues, Thune said, “Lindsey Graham saw injustice, and he spoke up.”

Vice President JD Vance also paid tribute to Graham in the Capitol ceremony, saying he cared about everyone, from the lowest-ranking staff member to the wait staff. 

“He was fascinated in people because he loved people,” Vance said. “And he was interested in them. … He treated everybody the same, because he was fascinated and he loved every single person in this chamber, and that’s a great testament to the man.” 

Vance noted their differences on additional funding for Ukraine — Graham was a staunch advocate, while Vance was skeptical. But despite their differences on Ukraine funding, Vance said Graham was a strong supporter of legislation that mattered to the vice president. 

After the ceremony in the Rotunda, funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. at Washington National Cathedral, where President Trump and others will pay tribute to the late senator. 

Tuesday’s funeral in the nation’s capital will be followed by services in South Carolina on Wednesday morning, beginning with a procession at the South Carolina State House around 10:45 a.m. 

During the funeral procession, Graham’s remains will be carried by members of the South Carolina State Guard, with a presentation of law enforcement and an F-16 flyover. The procession will conclude at the First Baptist Church of Columbia, where a funeral service will be held, followed by a private family burial in Pickens, South Carolina. 

Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term, expressed her gratitude in a statement to “all those who have come together to help honor and remember Lindsey.” She is present for Tuesday’s ceremonies.