Graham’s State Funeral Tuesday to Feature Trump, Netanyahu, and Zelenskyy

The nation’s capital will pause Tuesday to honor Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who spent more than three decades building influence across domestic and international corridors of power. His remains will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol before a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral, drawing an assembly of lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, and conservative leaders to mark his passing.

President Donald Trump plans to address mourners at the cathedral, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to attend. The gathering reflects Graham’s decades-long advocacy for American military engagement in global affairs and his final legislative push to secure Trump’s backing for Russia sanctions over the Ukraine invasion.

Graham, 71, died suddenly on July 11 at his Washington residence following what preliminary medical findings suggest was an aortic tear. He had recently returned from a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday, before traveling to Ukraine on what would prove his final diplomatic mission.

An Armed Forces Body Bearer Team will carry Graham’s remains into the Capitol Rotunda in recognition of his Air Force service. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to speak during morning proceedings, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune calling the Capitol honor appropriate for a cherished colleague and friend.

Graham’s political career began in 1994 when Republican waves swept him into the House, making him among the first GOP representatives from South Carolina since Reconstruction. He gained prominence as a House manager during President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial and advanced to the Senate in 2002, where he forged a legendary partnership with Sens. John McCain and Joe Lieberman known as the “three amigos.”

Throughout his Senate tenure, Graham demonstrated remarkable political adaptability, particularly in his relationship with Trump. Initially dismissing Trump as a “kook” unfit for office during the 2016 primary, Graham gradually aligned himself with the president after his election, though he briefly distanced himself following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Within weeks, Trump invited Graham to Mar-a-Lago, rekindling their alliance and cementing Graham’s reputation among colleagues as the “Trump whisperer” capable of translating the president’s intentions to other senators and world leaders. His final legislative achievement involved securing Trump’s support for comprehensive sanctions against Russia, a bipartisan package scheduled for a procedural vote Tuesday evening.

Graham never married but remained close to his younger sister, Darline Graham, whom he began supporting after their parents’ deaths during his college years. She has been appointed to complete his Senate term and is running in the special primary election scheduled for August 11, with filing closing Tuesday.

Graham’s government service extended beyond the Senate, including service as a judge advocate general in the Air Force and subsequent reserve and National Guard duty spanning decades. He formally retired as a colonel in 2015 and received the Bronze Star medal for service in 2014.

Burial services will occur Wednesday in South Carolina, concluding two days of memorials that underscore Graham’s stature among Republican leadership and international figures who relied upon his counsel and negotiating prowess throughout his career.