And they will probably need to be on the road almost every other weekend.

When Zelensky paid tribute to Graham, for example, he explained the senator had been to Ukraine 10 times during the four-and-a-half years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

“We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations,” he said. “We met twice in just the past week.”

Graham’s relationship with Netanyahu was longer and deeper. And as Secrets revealed at the time, Graham used a round of golf with Trump in February to persuade him of the political benefits of launching strikes on Iran.

So who could fill this role? Secrets canvassed sources on the Hill and elsewhere to come up with this shortlist:

Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL): At 44, she represents the next generation and could be the best fit, even though she lacks Graham’s long experience. A Secrets source said she had been mentored by Graham, who often made sure she had a seat in his meetings with high-level officials and leaders. Plus, she already has a role as something of a bridge between Congress and the White House when it comes to legislation. Notably, she has now taken on a role pushing a Russia sanctions bill that was championed by Graham.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS): Another name in the frame, Wicker combines both Senate standing with explicit support for Ukraine and Israel. As Armed Services Committee chairman, he has significant influence over military aid and defense policy, making him a key player for both countries. And his hawkish instincts on Iran in particular put him in close ideological alignment with Trump. But like others, he simply lacks the deep relationships with Zelensky and Netanyahu.

Laura Loomer: The wild card in the audition. The right-wing influencer and citizen journalist certainly has the ear of Trump, and has wielded considerable power by persuading him to fire staffers whose loyalty she doubted. Loomer is currently in Ukraine, where she has undergone a U-turn on supporting Zelensky’s government, as first documented by Secrets. “Maybe that person has to be me,” she told Playbook when asked who might be the best new envoy.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR): Again, this is a figure who comes with the authority of the Senate, but he probably lacks the independence of someone like Graham. In the plus column is the fact that, as Senate Intelligence Committee chair, he advanced Section 622 legislation in May to expand and enhance intelligence sharing with Israel. But on the Hill, he is seen as someone who will fall into line behind the president rather than nudge him in new directions.

Other positions held by Graham will be filled. His sister has Trump’s endorsement to run for his Senate seat. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is expected to take over the Budget Committee that Graham had chaired.

But the general consensus is that no one will be able to replicate his role as golf course foreign policy “Trump whisperer.”

None of these people is flying to warzones with the cadence of a secretary of state, as one insider put it.

With Zelensky and Netanyahu both meeting Trump ahead of this afternoon’s funeral service, both leaders will have to take on more of their own messaging. At least for now.

Biden watch

If there’s one thing former President Joe Biden loves more than waxing lyrical about the Senate, it’s a good funeral. So will he turn up at the Washington National Cathedral to remember his old pal Graham?

Back in the day, they were as thick as thieves. They overlapped in the Senate by more than a decade. They both served on the Foreign Relations Committee and traveled overseas together, developing the sort of across-the-aisle relationship that is now rare.

When Biden’s son Beau died, Graham described a long, emotional phone call as he tried to comfort his friend, whom he called “as good a man as God ever created.”

But then came Trump, and things soured as Graham (despite his initial misgivings) became one of the new president’s most loyal allies. He was a key mover in pushing investigations into Hunter Biden’s Ukraine ties, and the two old colleagues traded barbs. Jill Biden famously said that Graham was no longer a friend.

When the senator’s death was announced earlier this month, Biden offered a measured tribute, saying he chose to remember “the Lindsey Graham before Trump.”

So the only question left is whether Biden will be well enough to attend. And whether Jill lets him.

Quote of the day

Trump aide Stephen Miller laid out the Republican platform for the midterm elections during an interview with Sean Hannity on Monday night.

“Democrats have become a party of freaks, weirdos, losers, and crazies — but you can’t laugh it off because it’s deadly serious. When you give these people power, everything you know and love in this world falls apart. You have chaos, corruption, decay, violence, poverty.”

Lunchtime reading

Trump turns up the heat on RFK Jr. to cut back childhood vaccines: White House advisers urged Kennedy to tone down his cuts on vaccines. Trump ordered him to do the opposite, accusing him of having “the yips.”

Lawmakers are riding the AI wave to stardom: Working on AI policy is “a fast track to higher name recognition, credibility within their party and the groundwork for a platform to run on.” Oh, and there are pots of cash in it.

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