World leaders and officials in Washington, including former President Donald Trump, will pay their respects to Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday. Graham, a prominent figure on Capitol Hill, passed away at 71 this month.
Funeral services will commence Tuesday in Washington and continue Wednesday in South Carolina, Graham’s home state. These services honor his three-decade-long representation of South Carolina in Congress.
Military Honors and Capitol Ceremony
On Tuesday morning, an armed forces body bearer team will transport Graham’s casket in recognition of his military service. Graham served as a Judge Advocate General in the Air Force, retiring with the rank of colonel in 2015. A ceremony in the Capitol’s rotunda will follow, although Graham will not lie in state. The U.S. Capitol Police memorial guard will honor his Senate tenure. This brief, private ceremony will be available via livestream.
“From the military to state politics to decades of representing South Carolinians in Congress, Lindsey dedicated his life to giving back through public service,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated.
Washington National Cathedral Service
Graham’s casket will then move to the Washington National Cathedral for an invitation-only funeral at 2 p.m. ET. This service will also be livestreamed. Trump, who regarded Graham as “family,” will deliver remarks. Other attendees include Cabinet officials, congressional leaders, and military leaders. Global figures like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who collaborated with Graham on defense and foreign policy, will also be present. Trump plans to meet with both leaders on Tuesday.
South Carolina Memorial and Funeral
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve the remainder of his Senate term. She will run for a full term during the August 11 primary election.
On Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. ET, the public may pay their respects in Columbia, South Carolina, a place significant to Graham’s political career starting in 1993. Graham’s casket will be carried by a caisson along the procession route. An F-16 flyover will occur at 11 a.m. ET.
The caisson will proceed to First Baptist Church of Columbia for a funeral service. A private family burial is set in Pickens County, South Carolina, where Lindsey and Darline Graham were born.
Lindsey Graham’s Sudden Passing
Lindsey Graham, once the Senate Budget Committee chairman, died on July 11 after a ‘cardiac arrest’ emergency call near the U.S. Capitol. He had recently been in Kyiv, Ukraine, and was slated to appear on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
According to Graham’s office, his preliminary cause of death was “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.” Further results from toxicology and other tests are pending.