President Donald Trump described the late Senator Lindsey Graham as a dedicated military hawk who never met a conflict he didn't embrace, delivering a pointed eulogy ahead of the South Carolina Republican's funeral Tuesday.
"Lindsey liked war," Trump said on "Fox and Friends." "I jokingly say, and there's nothing funny about it, but he's never seen a war he didn't like. He was very much into that."
The president, who is scheduled to speak at Graham's funeral at Washington National Cathedral later Tuesday, acknowledged that the senator's hawkishness came from a good place. "He helped me build up the military during my first term," Trump added.
However, Trump noted a notable shift in Graham's stance on Iran in recent weeks. "Very interesting with Lindsey, he was very much a hawk, as you would say, on Iran," Trump said. "And over the last few weeks, I would say that he became like, if you could make a deal, it's better making a deal in this case than just destroying the rest of the country." This aligns with broader discussions about congressional war declarations against Iran as tensions simmer.
Despite this diplomatic pivot on Iran, Trump said Graham remained more "militant" about the Russia-Ukraine war. Graham visited Ukraine earlier this month, underscoring his continued focus on that conflict. The funeral is expected to draw international leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, both of whom are in Washington this week. Zelensky's visit comes as winter looms and diplomatic talks with Trump are on the agenda.
Trump praised Graham as a "great politician" who could bridge divides. "He was able to bring people together," Trump said. "If I needed a Democrat, he could usually produce that Democrat if I had to have him in an emergency."
The relationship between Trump and Graham had a rocky start during the 2016 Republican primary, when Graham was a presidential candidate. "We started a little bit on the rough side," Trump recalled. "But then it got closer and closer. It really ended up being a great friendship."
Graham was one of Trump's staunchest supporters in Congress and arguably the biggest advocate for military action against Iran. His funeral at the National Cathedral will be a high-profile event, with Netanyahu and Zelensky expected to attend, highlighting the international dimensions of the late senator's legacy.
