WASHINGTON — President Trump opened up about his final call with late Sen. Lindsey Graham in what “could have been minutes” before his death after returning from a trip overseas.
Trump, 80, described Graham, 71, as “family” to him and said he was absolutely shocked by the senator’s abrupt passing.
“What makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night, sometime [in] the early evening,” Trump recalled to NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, indicating it may have been around 7 o’clock.
“He said we’re all set for the SAVE America Act. He was pushing the SAVE America Act like crazy. He got back and 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.”
Graham died of a “brief and sudden illness” Saturday evning, according to his office. Graham had made multiple phone calls before his sudden death, including with CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan, and was slated to appear on her “Meet the Press” show Sunday.
Along with Trump, Graham has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentayahu and had been spending his final weeks working on a new proposal to normalize Saudi-Israeli relations, Axios reported.
Graham had been a strong supporter of Israel and worked for years to try and reach Saudi-Israeli normalizations as a way to strengthen the region and weaken Iran’s influence.
The new proposal was reportedly set to be pushed following the midterm elections with the goal of reaching an agreement by January.
Graham had been planning a trip to both Saudi Arabia and Israel to revive such talks in the coming weeks after the kingdom’s interest for normalization waned over the war in Gaza.
“He’s going to be appreciated more now than he was when he was living,” Trump predicted.
“He’s a tough one to lose. He was great — he was unique in every way,” the president added. “He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough.”
The president also hailed Graham as a real patriot who served the American people until his final moment.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot,” Trump posted on Truth Social early Sunday.
“Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Over 11 years ago, Trump and Graham were bitter rivals in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Graham warned Republicans against nominating Trump, arguing that he would be ruinous for the party.
They clashed so much that, at one point, Trump read aloud Graham’s cellphone number at a rally. The late senator then cut an ad showcasing him destroying his cellphone in various ways. Graham had been peeved at Trump for dissing his friend, the late Sen. John McCain.
After Trump first became president, he and Graham initially remained bitter foes. But slowly, Graham began to warm up to Trump and, in 2018, mended fences with him after his viral defense of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
“His moment on Brett Kavanaugh was one of the classics, I think, in the history of the Senate,” Trump reflected, arguing that Kavanaugh was treated unfairly and Graham rightfully lashed out at Democrats in response. “I think that saved Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court ascension.”
“Lindsey did a thing there that I think nobody else could’ve done that.”
During a hearing on Kavanaugh’s nomination in the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation, Graham exploded at how the Democrats sat on her accusations for weeks until right before he was about to be confirmed in a viral moment.
Trump acknowledged having disagreements with Graham at times, but underscored his respect for him and marveled at his ability to work with Democrats.
“If I had a really big problem with a certain Democrat, he could work it out. That’s something most Republicans can’t do,” Trump told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The two often aligned on military spending, support for Israel and taking a hard line against Iran, China and Russia, although Graham at times pushed for a more aggressive US role overseas than Trump favored.
In recent months, Graham was one of the strongest Republican voices backing Trump’s decision to strike Iran, arguing the military action was necessary to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Trump further hailed Graham as a “natural politician” and a “tough cookie.” The two spent many days on the golf course together over recent years.
“I thought Lindsey was gonna be living forever. I said, ‘Lindsey, you’re gonna live forever.’ And he was gonna have a big victory. He was scheduled to win by a lot. He was scheduled,” he added to “Meet the Press.”
Trump noted that he has someone in mind to succeed Graham, but didn’t specify who. Graham was up for reelection this cycle, and Trump’s allies helped him breeze through a GOP primary despite drawing a challenge in part because of his hawkish foreign policy views.
