President Donald Trump declared Sunday that the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has dealt a significant blow to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, a key legislative priority for the White House. Speaking on NBC News's "Meet the Press," Trump told host Kristen Welker that Graham believed the Senate would pass the bill.
"This is a big blow to the SAVE America Act, let me tell you," Trump said, describing a phone call with Graham the previous Saturday night. The senator had just returned from Ukraine and assured the president, "we're all set for the SAVE America Act." Trump recounted that Graham sounded tired but determined, saying, "He was a worker, he was really a worker. But he sounded great, actually, but he actually said he was tired. But he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, 'We're going to get it done, Lindsey, we're going to get it done, I'll see you, like soon. We might even meet today.'"
The president said he learned of Graham's death early Sunday morning from a member of the senator's office, adding he could not "believe it." Asked about his final words to Graham, Trump replied, "'Come over anytime you want.' He came into the White House a lot because I liked him. Can't do that with everybody."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also appeared on "Meet the Press" to pay tribute to Graham, who was scheduled to make his 64th appearance on the show. Netanyahu said Graham's death left him in a "state of shock" and called the senator "one of the great champions of the American-Israeli alliance." Netanyahu praised Graham's candor: "He was very honest about his views. And the amazing thing about Lindsey Graham is he put it directly. He said, 'I stand with Israel openly. I know that the whims of fashion blow in another way. I couldn't care less.'"
Tributes from Republican colleagues poured in throughout the day. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) described Graham on "Fox News Sunday" as someone who "was never kind and gentle about the priorities he had. He was loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious, because he understood that he had the power of a microphone to make a difference, not for himself but for others."
Graham's death leaves a significant void in the Senate, particularly on defense and foreign policy issues where he was a prominent hawk. The South Carolina law sets a path to replace him, but the immediate political fallout centers on the SAVE America Act, which now faces an uncertain future without its key Senate champion. Trump's remarks underscore the personal and legislative loss, as the president had relied on Graham to navigate the bill through a divided chamber.
For more on Graham's legacy and the political response, read: Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 After Sudden Illness, Leaving a Legacy of Hawkish Defense and Close Trump Ties and Scott Eulogizes Graham: 'Loud and Obnoxious' but a Statesman.
