Washington says goodbye to Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who served in Congress for more than three decades and was described as an influential foreign policy hawk, died at age 71 this month. His funeral service Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral will draw President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and other world and congressional leaders. Both the Capitol ceremony and the cathedral service will be livestreamed.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a foreign policy hawk who served in Congress for more than three decades, died this month at age 71. His funeral service Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral will bring together President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, cabinet officials, congressional and military leaders, and others who viewed Graham as a key ally on defense and foreign policy matters.
The day will unfold in two phases. According to NBC News, a private ceremony will take place at the Capitol around 10 a.m. ET Tuesday, when Graham's casket arrives for remarks honoring both his military service and his congressional tenure. That Capitol ceremony will be livestreamed. Graham's casket will then depart for Washington National Cathedral, where an invitation-only funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. The cathedral service will also be livestreamed, per NBC News, and Trump is expected to speak.
Graham's sister, Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., was sworn in to her late brother's seat this month, per NBC News. She plans to run for a full term in an Aug. 11 primary.
Memorials will continue in South Carolina on Wednesday. According to NBC News, remembrances will take place at the State House in the morning, with Graham's casket carried by a horse-drawn military wagon known as a caisson. An F-16 flyover will mark his more than three decades of service in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, per the reporting. A public funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church of Columbia on Wednesday, followed by a private family burial in Pickens County, where Graham was born and raised.
President Trump is expected to speak at Graham's funeral service Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral, which will also include Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Graham's funeral represents a rare convergence of Washington officials and international leaders at a congressional memorial, underscoring his role as a bridge between the executive branch, Congress, and allied governments. The next contested question is how his South Carolina seat will be settled in the August primary.
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