President Donald Trump paid an emotional tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham during a Sunday interview on Meet the Press, reflecting on the longtime ally’s unexpected passing and recalling what he said was one of their final conversations just hours before the South Carolina senator died.
Speaking with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, Trump described Graham as an irreplaceable figure and praised both his work ethic and his political abilities.
“He’s a tough one to lose,” Trump said. “He was great. He was unique in every way, actually.”
The president revealed that he had spoken directly with Graham on Saturday evening, saying the senator had called shortly after returning from a trip to Ukraine. According to Trump, Graham immediately turned the conversation toward legislative priorities, telling him that efforts surrounding the SAVE America Act were ready to move forward.
“So what makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night — sometime in the early evening, maybe in the sevens — and he called and he said, ‘We’re all set for the SAVE America Act,’” Trump said.
Trump said Graham had been working tirelessly to advance the legislation and had sounded somewhat fatigued after his travels but otherwise appeared to be doing well.
“He was pushing the SAVE America Act like crazy,” Trump said. “He got back, said he just landed from Ukraine. I said, ‘That’s a long trip to make!’ He sounded a little tired, but perfect. But a little bit tired. He had a right to be, he was a worker. He was really a worker.”
The president added that despite mentioning he was tired, Graham remained focused on passing the legislation.
“He wanted to pass the SAVE America Act,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘Well we’re gonna get it done, Lindsey. We’re gonna get it done.’”
Trump said the two had even discussed the possibility of meeting on Sunday before events took an unexpected turn.
“We thought maybe we might even meet today. And then that was it,” Trump said.
The president recalled receiving word from Graham’s office early Sunday morning that the senator had died.
“It could’ve been his last call, I don’t know exactly,” Trump said. “But I got a message about one o’clock in the morning from one of the people in his office that he had passed away. I said, ‘I just can’t believe it!’ He was like a member of the family to me.”
Trump also highlighted Graham’s effectiveness as a lawmaker, saying the senator had a unique ability to work through difficult political situations.
According to Trump, whenever he encountered significant disagreements with Democrats, Graham was someone who could help resolve them.
During the interview, Welker noted that authorities had responded to Graham’s home following initial reports of a cardiac arrest. She also referenced a statement from Graham’s office describing his cause of death as “a quick and sudden illness.”
Asked whether he had any additional information, Trump said he believed that description matched what he knew from speaking with the senator only a short time before his death.
“I would think it would be that,” Trump said. “Because when I spoke to him, it could have been minutes before, based on the fact that I heard about the call, whatever time that was. So it was shortly before.”
Trump said Graham had appeared fine aside from being tired, leading him to believe whatever happened occurred suddenly.
“But it had to be something like that, because other than being tired, he was fine,” Trump said. “And so it had be something that would just be a quick end. And maybe that’s not the worst way to go.”
