Vice President Vance delivered a eulogy at the Capitol on Tuesday for the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), centering his remarks on Graham's fiery defense of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the 2018 confirmation hearings. Vance described the moment as a defining act of political courage that transcended partisan lines.
"What he saw happening to Kavanaugh was not a policy disagreement, it was character assassination," Vance told the assembled crowd, which included a bipartisan group of senators and Graham's family. The vice president's words echoed through the Capitol rotunda, where Graham's casket lay in state.
Vance recalled that Graham's outburst during the Kavanaugh hearing was one of the most passionate he had ever witnessed in a judicial confirmation process. "Lindsey got as fiery and as passionate as I have ever seen a human being get during a judicial confirmation, and I believe that he saved that nomination," Vance said.
The vice president noted that while the moment went viral online, Graham's motivation was not about seeking attention. "He did it to do something at the very highest part of the Senate, which was to persuade his colleagues," Vance explained. "And persuade his colleagues he did. Lindsey didn't just earn a lot of headlines. He actually persuaded people."
Graham's defense of Kavanaugh came after multiple women accused the nominee of sexual misconduct. The South Carolina senator accused Democrats of engaging in a character assassination, a framing Vance echoed in his tribute. The Capitol memorial service highlighted Graham's bipartisan ties, but Vance focused on his unyielding support for conservative judicial nominees.
"He would always vote for qualified judicial nominations," Vance said, acknowledging that this stance drew criticism from some conservatives. "He was criticized from our side of the aisle for that."
The memorial at the Capitol was one of two services held Tuesday. A second service took place at the Washington National Cathedral, where former President Donald Trump eulogized Graham, praising his hawkish foreign policy legacy. Trump's remarks, which included the line that Graham "liked war," underscored the senator's influence on national security issues. The day's events drew a who's who of Washington power brokers, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in town for talks with Trump and attended the funeral as winter looms.
Vance's tribute, however, kept the focus on Graham's role in shaping the judiciary. The vice president concluded by framing Graham's legacy as one of persuasion and principle. "That maybe is how I will choose most to remember my friend Lindsey Graham," he said.
