Trump Just Delivered an Emotional Tribute at Lindsey Graham’s Funeral — and One Old Story Brought the House Down

President Donald Trump paid tribute to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral, calling him “a respected statesman, a giant of the United States Senate, and a true American original.”

Graham died unexpectedly on July 11 at age 71 after suffering an aortic tear. Trump reflected on more than three decades of congressional service. “For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it,” he said. “No bill became law without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”

He added that Graham “gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out.” Although Graham was one of Trump’s fiercest critics during the 2016 campaign, the two later became close allies on judicial appointments, national security, immigration, and foreign policy.

Trump recounted the memorable 2016 moment when he publicly shared Graham’s cellphone number after criticism. “So naturally, I did something that I shouldn’t have done,” Trump said. “I shared his personal cell phone number… And I remember the number — 202-228-0292… His phone exploded.”

Graham later joked he had used the same number for 20 years. “That was the beginning of friendship in a way,” Trump said. “But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh, because while I blew up his phone for one day, we became great friends and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years.”

Attendees included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill the remainder of his term, sat with the family. Another memorial is scheduled in South Carolina.