President Donald Trump, in a memorial service at the National Cathedral on Tuesday, eulogized Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a longtime force on Capitol Hill who died this month at 71, as “one of the great figures in Senate history.”

“He died doing the work he was born to do, he was truly a great politician,” Trump said before an audience of mourners that included several members of the Cabinet, foreign dignitaries and conservative luminaries, as well as a bipartisan group of lawmakers from Congress.

“He went out at the peak of his career, at the top of his career, as a legend,” Trump said.

They did not always agree on policy, particularly when it came to foreign affairs. Trump made reference to that during his eulogy, noting that Graham “was truly hawkish: He never saw a war that he didn’t like,” but said Graham believed that the United States’ “destiny was to win.”

Following his remarks, on his way back to his seat, Trump gently patted Graham’s casket.

Some of the foreign dignitaries whose causes Graham championed as a senator were in attendance, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Fox News host Sean Hannity also offered remarks.

Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican luminaries offered their remembrances of Graham during a service in the Capitol Rotunda, recalling him as a seasoned statesman and treasured friend.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the majority leader, recalled Graham as one of the chamber’s most sharp-tongued speakers but also one of its most willing dealmakers. “It didn’t matter to Lindsey whether an issue was popular or unpopular, whether he had the full support of his colleagues or was standing alone,” he said. “He told things the way he saw them and he didn’t mince words.”

They, like Trump, made several references to Graham’s sense of humor as something they would miss most.

“Lindsey Graham could make anybody laugh and he could make anybody feel at home,” Vance said, as he recalled how Graham, once his elder in the Senate, alternatingly sparred with and helped him.

At the end of the morning service, dozens of lawmakers from both parties lined up to approach Graham’s flag-draped casket, many showing visible signs of emotion. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who worked with Graham on the Judiciary Committee and often crossed party lines to negotiate with Graham around contentious issues, crossed himself at the casket.

Here’s What Else to Know:

— South Carolina funeral: On Wednesday, a procession and public funeral will be held in South Carolina, followed by a private burial.

— From opponent to ally: After once declaring Trump a “kook” who was “unfit for office,” Graham repaired his relationship with the president after he won office and became a trusted member of his circle, reflecting the evolution of the Republican Party.

— Election battle: Graham died less than four months before he was set to appear on the ballot as a strong favorite to win a fifth term. His death set off a scramble for his seat, which is currently being filled by his younger sister, Darline Graham.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Karoun Demirjian, Chris Cameron, Peter Baker and Daniel Victor/Doug Mills
c. 2026 The New York Times Company