President Donald Trump stated that he spoke with former Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) just hours before Graham's death, during which Graham mentioned he was feeling "a little tired." Trump made these comments during an appearance on NBC News's Meet the Press, a program Graham was scheduled to appear on the morning after his passing. Trump noted that their call may have occurred just minutes before Graham's death, adding that Graham seemed fine during their conversation.
Trump recalled that Graham had called to discuss the SAVE America Act and described him as being otherwise well aside from feeling tired. Following Graham's death on Saturday night from what his staff described as a "brief and sudden illness," the White House ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor. Graham had recently returned from a wartime visit to Ukraine, where he coordinated with Trump regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Despite their differences during the 2016 primary, Graham was recognized as one of Trump's closest allies in Congress. Trump also commemorated Graham in a post on Truth Social, expressing his admiration for the senator and stating that he would be greatly missed.