Lindsey Graham funeral updates: Trump to deliver tribute as late senator is laid to rest

Perhaps more than anyone, the lawmaker from South Carolina epitomized the Republican Party’s shift from opposing Donald Trump to accepting his reshaping agenda.

A former bipartisan dealmaker who enjoyed friendships with Democrats ranging from Biden to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, he subsequently morphed into a hardcore partisan warrior post-2016.

Here’s Eric Garcia with a look back at some of the key episodes in the late senator’s career, from his humble origins marked by tragedy to cheerleading Operation Epic Fury.

Lindsey Graham’s 23-year career in the Senate, spanned from the George W Bush era to Donald Trump.

He proved himself able to work Democrats too, collaborating with Barack Obama on foreign policy and striking up a particular friendship with Joe Biden.

The logistics for today’s funeral have become more and more complicated due to the number of world leaders expected to be in attendance, requiring a heightened security presence.

Here’s Owen Scott’s report.

Members of the military conducted rehearsals at the U.S. Capitol Monday ahead of today’s services to honor the late senator, bearing a flag-draped coffin up the steps into the Rotunda.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to attend Tuesday’s funeral service in Washington.

Graham emerged as a pivotal ally on Capitol Hill for both leaders, consistently urging the Trump administration to take a more aggressive stance against Iran and to bolster support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends,” Netanyahu said following Graham’s sudden death earlier this month. “America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”

“Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer,” Zelensky wrote in his own statement. “We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations.”

Funeral services for Lindsey Graham will take place over the next two days in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina.

The schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday: The body of the 71-year-old senator will be brought to the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, where a brief private ceremony will honor his more than two decades of service in the Senate. The ceremony will be livestreamed.
• Tuesday at 2 p.m.: A funeral service will be held at Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump is among those scheduled to speak, and multiple world leaders are expected to attend. The service will again be livestreamed.
• Tuesday evening: Graham’s remains will be transported to South Carolina.
• Wednesday at 10:45 a.m.: Services will begin with a final visit to the South Carolina State House, including a procession featuring an F-16 flyover.
• Wednesday at 12 p.m.: A funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church of Columbia.
• Wednesday: A private family burial in Pickens County, South Carolina, will follow the service.

Sen. Lindsey Graham will be eulogized Tuesday during memorial services across Washington.

The long-serving politician passed away unexpectedly earlier this month at the age of 71.

Graham’s remains will arrive at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican worked for more than 20 years, later today.

A funeral service will then be held at Washington National Cathedral with lawmakers and foreign leaders, a testament to his stature on the global stage.

President Donald Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the cathedral, alongside Fox News’ Sean Hannity and other conservative leaders.

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky are planning to be in attendance.