President Donald Trump was likely one of the first people who learned about the death of friend and close political associate Lindsey Graham after the South Carolina senator passed away late Saturday evening in his D.C. residence.
Graham, it turns out, was scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with anchor Kristen Welker Sunday morning, but instead she spoke to Trump via phone.
And he revealed that he had gotten an early Saturday evening phone call from Graham after the latter had returned from a trip to Kiev, Ukraine. During the conversation, Trump told Welker what he and Graham had discussed.
“President Trump, thank you for joining us, and my condolences to you,” Welker began:
TRUMP: Well, thank you. He’s a tough one to lose. He’s…he was great. He was unique in every way, actually.
WELKER: He was, Mr. President, and I know that we are all just absorbing this news. We are all in shock. Can you tell us, Mr. President, how you received this news and your immediate gut reaction when you heard it?
TRUMP: So what makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night, sometime in, you know, the early evening, maybe in the sevens. And he called, and he said, “We’re all set for the SAVE America Act. He was pushing the SAVE America Act like crazy. He got back — said he just landed from Ukraine. I said, “That’s a long trip to make.” He said — he sounded a little tired, but perfect, but…a little bit tired — had a right to be. And he was a worker — he was really a worker, but he sounded great actually, but he was…he actually said he was tired.
But he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act. And I said, “Well, we’re gonna get it done, Lindsey, we’re gonna get it done. I’ll see you, like, soon.” We thought maybe we might even meet today. And then, that was it. And that was, you know…very…around the time, it couldn’t have been much longer. It could’ve been his last call. I don’t know exactly, but I got a message about 1 o’clock in the morning from one of the people in his office that he had passed away. I said, “You gotta…I just can’t believe it.” He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough, actually. It’s amazing.
He was such an advocate — he was, you know, if he wanted to get something…and you know, he had a unique ability; he was able to deal with Democrats and Repub — if I had a problem, a real problem, I wouldn’t often ask, but if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out. He was a great — he was a great politician, actually.
Graham, 71, reportedly passed suddenly from a “cardiac arrest.”
Graham was a steadfast conservative voice on national security and one of President Trump’s closest allies in Congress.
He had returned from a trip to Ukraine just the day before, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ongoing support for the fight against Russian aggression.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” Graham’s office stated on social media.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
Trump issued a heartfelt tribute on Truth Social early Sunday, praising his longtime friend and Senate partner.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump wrote. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”