President Donald Trump delivered a eulogy for Sen. Lindsey Graham at a memorial service held at the Washington National Cathedral. During his remarks, Trump paused to disagree with a line from his own prepared speech.
After reading a line stating “virtually everyone, Republican or Democrat, liked Lindsey,” Trump broke from his script. According to People, He responded, “Well, not everybody, but it sounds good. Not everybody.”
Trump then added, “He was a tough cookie, ok, I have to veer from this for a second,” before continuing with his remarks. Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, died on July 11 from a heart condition. He was 71.
Trump recalled his rocky start with Graham before their years-long friendship
In his eulogy, Trump praised Graham’s path “from a small town in rural South Carolina, a place he loves so much, to become a constant fixture of American politics at the highest level and a force to be reckoned with all over the world.” Graham’s sudden death came with no known health concerns reported beforehand.
Trump also spoke about his early conflict with Graham, going back to the 2016 Republican presidential primary. “As you remember, Lindsey and I did not exactly get off to the best of starts,” Trump said. He recalled that “Lindsey said something rather nasty” about him during that time.
Trump said he responded by sharing Graham’s personal cell phone number with a large audience during a public event. “So, naturally, I did something that I shouldn’t have done. And I shared his personal cell phone number with the millions of people that happened to be watching that particular day,” Trump said. He then read the phone number aloud during the eulogy, saying it was there “if anybody wants to give it a shot.”
Trump said the incident marked the start of their friendship. “That was the beginning of a friendship in a way,” he said. “But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh because while I blew up his phone all for one day, we became great friends and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years.”
Trump also spoke about Graham’s support for U.S. military action abroad. “He never saw a war that he didn’t like,” Trump said, adding that “only his true friends would understand that.”
Footage released before the funeral captured Graham praising the Iran war and comparing Trump and Netanyahu to historic wartime leaders. The same footage showed him offering to help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu persuade Trump to take military action in Lebanon.
Fox News host Sean Hannity also gave a eulogy at the service. Speaking to Netanyahu, who attended the funeral, Hannity said, “Lindsey would have been blown away” by his presence. Hannity added that Graham “loved you,” referring to Netanyahu.
The funeral drew a wide range of attendees, including current and former senators, Fox News hosts, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and world leaders. Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both attended, arriving after morning meetings at the White House with Trump. Vice President JD Vance and most of Trump’s Cabinet were also present.
Graham’s casket arrived at the National Cathedral draped in the American flag, following an earlier service at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. After finishing his eulogy, Trump walked past the casket and patted it twice before returning to his seat.
Also in attendance was newly appointed Sen. Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s younger sister, whom he helped raise. She was appointed by the South Carolina governor to serve in the Senate through January and is reportedly considering a run for a full term. Earlier on Tuesday, she was photographed weeping beside her brother’s casket during the Capitol Rotunda ceremony.
During his eulogy, Trump addressed her directly after making his comment about not everyone liking her brother. “He was a tough cookie, Darline,” Trump said. “He was beautiful.”
A separate funeral service is scheduled to take place in South Carolina on Wednesday, July 29, followed by a private burial.
Published: Jul 29, 2026 12:30 pm