President Donald Trump will help Washington bid farewell to Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday, weeks after revealing that the South Carolina Republican spent their final conversation fighting for one last political priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Graham called Trump shortly after returning from Ukraine on July 11, the night he died unexpectedly at 71.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all set for the SAVE America Act,\u201d Graham told the president, according to Trump\u2019s July 12 interview on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump said Graham sounded tired following the lengthy overseas trip but otherwise appeared fine. The senator remained focused on advancing the Republican election-integrity bill and expected to see the president again soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll see you soon,\u201d Trump remembered telling him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hours later, Trump received word that Graham had died. Preliminary findings from the District of Columbia medical examiner later identified the cause as an aortic dissection stemming from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt could have been his last call,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The conversation was vintage Graham: back in Washington after another international trip and immediately pressing the president about unfinished business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump recalled that the senator\u2019s relentless commitment to politics made it nearly impossible to imagine him doing anything else. He had endorsed Graham\u2019s reelection bid and believed the veteran lawmaker was cruising toward another decisive victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The president also offered an unusually Trumpian assessment of his late friend during a subsequent \u201cFox & Friends<\/a>\u201d interview, rating Graham a 99.9 out of 100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump said Graham lost a fraction of a point over \u201cone bad moment\u201d: his brief break with the president following the events of Jan. 6, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graham took to the Senate floor that night and declared that he had reached the end of his journey with Trump. According to the president, however, Graham called him less than an hour later and immediately expressed regret over what he had said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump therefore gave him \u201ca 99.9 instead of 100,\u201d according to People<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remark captured the unconventional friendship between the two Republicans, who began as bitter rivals during the 2016 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graham warned Republicans against nominating Trump, while Trump routinely mocked Graham\u2019s struggling campaign. Their relationship changed after Trump easily defeated him and the rest of the Republican field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump said Graham respected his victory, and their friendship gradually grew. Graham eventually became one of Trump\u2019s most reliable allies and advisers, particularly on judicial nominations and foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite frequently teasing Graham, Trump offered rare praise for the senator\u2019s political abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump called him one of the \u201ctop 10 in politics\u201d and said Graham possessed a nearly unmatched ability to win over both Republicans and Democrats. While recalling his friend\u2019s effectiveness in the Senate, Trump acknowledged that viewers had \u201cprobably never heard me say that about anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graham was a frequent visitor to the White House, where Trump relied on him as a gauge of the Senate\u2019s mood and a go-between when the administration needed help winning over resistant lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump also credited Graham\u2019s fiery defense of Brett Kavanaugh with helping save the Supreme Court nominee\u2019s confirmation. The president described the exchange as one of the most consequential performances in Senate history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beneath the jokes and political reminiscing, Trump made clear that Graham\u2019s death represented a personal and national loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe real loser was the United States of America,\u201d Trump said in remarks later collected by the White House<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump predicted that Graham would receive greater appreciation after his death and told Fox News that a \u201cspecial type of funeral\u201d was being arranged for the senator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That farewell will begin Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol, where Graham\u2019s remains will be carried into the Rotunda by an Armed Forces Body Bearer Team in recognition of his decades of military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The casket will later be taken to Washington National Cathedral for an invitation-only service beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern. Trump is scheduled to deliver a tribute, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who served alongside Graham for more than a decade, called his friend \u201cirreplaceable.\u201d Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) remembered him as a \u201cSenator. Warrior. Patriot. Statesman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every member of the Senate also co-sponsored a resolution honoring Graham\u2019s life, which passed unanimously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the Washington service, Graham\u2019s remains will return to South Carolina. A public procession, F-16 flyover and funeral service will be held Wednesday before a private family burial in Pickens County, according to the official funeral schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n