Senators are scheduled to take a first procedural vote Tuesday evening on a sanctions package targeting Russia, a measure championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose funeral drew foreign leaders and the Washington establishment. Graham was eulogized Tuesday as “a true American original” during memorial services in Washington, where his flag-draped casket arrived for a tribute at the U.S. Capitol before President Donald Trump joined foreign leaders for a funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaders of two countries fighting separate wars, were among those gathered. Fox News' Sean Hannity noted Graham would have been moved that they both made the long journeys to attend. President Trump called Graham “a giant of the United States Senate,” describing his onetime presidential rival turned ally as “the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people that you've really ever wanted to fight.” Trump even recited Graham's publicly disclosed cellphone number in the cathedral, recounting how the senator didn't stop calling him for the next 10 years.
Trump Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and current and former senators and lawmakers joined in the pews. Graham's sister, now-Sen. Darline Graham, appointed by the state's governor to fill the remainder of her brother's term, was also present.
A Legacy of Intervention
Graham was a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world's problems, a role underscored by the presence of warring foreign leaders at his memorial. He quickly rose to prominence after his 1994 election to Congress, serving as a manager in Democrat Bill Clinton's presidential impeachment. Elected to the Senate in 2002, he formed an alliance with Sen. John McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman, becoming the “three amigos,” globe-trotting the world focused on national security issues.
Just 17 days before his death, Graham had returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday in the same month, and a visit to Ukraine. He was 71 when he died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington of a likely aortic tear, according to preliminary findings.
Elite Consensus on Foreign Wars
Days before his death, Graham had secured President Trump's support for a long-fought bipartisan proposal to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. This measure, now slated for a vote, represents one of the strongest U.S. efforts to hamper Russian President Vladimir Putin's ability to prolong the conflict. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to be on hand and meeting with senators in the evening, directly influencing U.S. legislative action.
For decades, Graham had been at the center of the action, a member of virtually every bipartisan gang in Congress, demonstrating a relentless ability to adapt to political realities, particularly when it came to Trump. Vice President JD Vance recalled arguing with Graham over the senator's staunch support for aid to Ukraine, a policy that has divided the GOP, yet praised his legacy, noting Kavanaugh “would not be on the Supreme Court” were it not for Graham's “fierce advocacy” during the confirmation hearing.
The Domestic Cost
While Graham pursued a globalist agenda, his personal life reflected a different reality: he became the guardian for his younger sister, Darline, at 13 after their parents died while he was at college and then starting law school. He often extolled the benefits of Social Security that helped keep them financially afloat, a program vital to many native working families. Now-Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to fill her brother's term, is running in a potentially crowded primary field for the fall election, with the filing period closing today and voting set for 14 days later.
Amidst the political elite, a roster of socially conservative and anti-abortion leaders, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Marjorie Jones Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and the Reverend William Franklin Graham III, gave readings, a nod to traditional values often sidelined by globalist priorities. Joint Base Charleston will be renamed in his honor, an Air Force official said, cementing his legacy within the military establishment, while his burial is set for one day later in his home state of South Carolina.