‘A True American Original’: Lindsey Graham Funeral Rivets Capital

A solemn procession of military servicemembers carried the body of former Senator Lindsey Graham (S.C.) down the central aisle of the magnificent National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. for his funeral service on Tuesday as his beloved sister Darline, President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, the entire presidential cabinet, and dozens of dignitaries looked on. The president described the late statesman as “a giant of the United States Senate” who “gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart.”Graham died unexpectedly on July 11 at the age of 71 at his Capitol Hill home of a likely aortic tear. The senator’s sudden death shocked Congress and the nation, as Graham was revered by both his Republican and Democratic colleagues as a tenacious, larger-than-life figure who fiercely stood for conservatism, the human dignity of the unborn, a robust national defense and aggressive foreign policy, and international religious freedom and human rights, among many other prominent political issues.

Known for possessing seemingly boundless energy, Graham passed away soon after arriving back in Washington from a trip to Ukraine and just a day before he was scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The South Carolinian’s jovial personality endeared him not only to his fellow Republicans but also to his Democratic rivals, with most agreeing that his legacy of tireless advocacy and willingness to reach across the aisle is “irreplaceable.”

During Graham’s nationally televised funeral, President Trump paid tribute to the senator, describing him as a “beloved friend, a devoted brother, a respected statesman, a giant of the United States Senate, and a true American original who left us much too soon. … Nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it. And no bill became law in the most exceptional Republic in human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”

“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart, until that heart itself just gave out,” the president continued. “But even though Lindsey’s life was cut short while he was still so full of vim and vigor, there can be no doubt that he lived absolutely to the fullest. He died doing the work he was born to do.”

“In a city where politicians often become jaded and cynical, Lindsey Graham never lost the old-fashioned American idealism that brought him to the highest levels of government and life,” Trump added. “He took his duty seriously without taking himself too seriously. He was unwavering in his principles, but always willing to listen. He always wanted to listen. And one thing about Lindsey that we all know, he never quit. You wanted him to quit. You waited for him to quit. But he would never quit. Above all, Lindsey Graham loved America, and he believed in the American people.”

In a moving tribute, Graham’s niece Emillie Boggs Roberts described a man who was unwavering in his devotion to his family, particularly after both of his parents died when he was just 20, leaving him to raise his 13-year-old sister Darline.

“Lindsey became brother, father, and mother to my mother overnight,” she recounted. “It is a story that has been d over and over. I grew up hearing that story, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I really processed what it meant. My mother said Lindsey would come home to visit every weekend from the University of South Carolina in Columbia while she was living with their aunt and uncle in Seneca. That is over a two-hour trip one way every weekend. … Lindsey was always there for all of us. He held more than one role for each of us. He wasn’t just an uncle, a brother, a nephew. He was the foundation of our family and our family. When you needed advice, a problem solved or a helping hand, you turned to Lindsey.”

After being honored with serving as a Scripture reader at the service, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins joined “Washington Watch” to more about Graham’s legacy.

“I think he did not have an equal in the Senate when it came to understanding foreign policy,” he emphasized. “He was a strong champion of Israel. But not only was he good on foreign policy … Lindsey helped [to educate the public] when it came to the foreign policy issues … and he took a lot of criticism from even conservatives. … Lindsey [also] worked a lot behind the scenes to advance the sanctity of human life. In fact, I worked very, very closely with him on a number of issues, and he was passionate about this. And I think this came from, number one, his family, but also, I think his faith. He and I talked about Scripture a lot. I prayed with him.”

Perkins went on to highlight the late senator’s remarkable ability to not only challenge his Republican colleagues but also sustain dialogue with Democrats in an increasingly polarized political environment.

“Lindsey was very comfortable in his skin,” he observed. “He was comfortable with who he was, and so he would speak out. … He would challenge the president, but he maintained friends with the president. So we can disagree on issues, but yet still be friendly and not be disagreeable. And I think one of the things I really, really liked about Lindsey — and actually, I asked for his help a few times — [was his ability to] work across the aisle. And I think as Christians, we should always be wanting conversations. It doesn’t mean we agree or affirm everything, but having conversations. And Lindsey was great about doing that across the political aisle.”

Perkins further underscored that the nature of Graham’s sudden death is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of what’s eternal. “This is one of those moments where you celebrate a life well lived, but again, you reflect on how you are living and where your eternal destination is going to be. Because all of the things we do here on this earth, important as they are in the moment, they pale in comparison to eternity. And this is where we have to make a clear, clear decision as to whether or not we’re going to accept the gift that God has given us through Jesus Christ His Son, and receive that gift and that salvation, and have that eternal life, but also have the abundant life here and now.”

In his homily during the service, Graham’s pastor, Tim Tate of Corinth Baptist Church in Seneca, echoed the call for a heavenward approach to earthly living. “Senator Lindsey Graham has been at the feet of Jesus. And I believe today that if he was here, having been where he’s been, having seen what he has seen, having experienced what he has experienced — you may disagree with me — but I don’t think he would talk to us about golf just yet. I don’t think he would talk to us about the weather. I think he would talk to us about Jesus. I think he would tell us, ‘Listen, my friends, if you don’t know Jesus, you need to meet him. I met him, I have stood at his feet.’”

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