{"id":2636804,"date":"2026-07-28T15:48:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T19:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-pays-tribute-to-lindsey-graham-who-had-the-last-laugh-as-phone-friends\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T15:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T19:49:40","slug":"trump-pays-tribute-to-lindsey-graham-who-had-the-last-laugh-as-phone-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-pays-tribute-to-lindsey-graham-who-had-the-last-laugh-as-phone-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump pays tribute to Lindsey Graham &#8216;who had the last laugh&#8217; as phone friends"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-pays-tribute-to-lindsey-graham-who-had-the-last-laugh-as-phone-friends%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2636804&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President Donald Trump paid tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, praising him as a beloved friend, a respected statesman, and a &#8220;giant&#8221; of the U.S. Senate. During the funeral, which was attended by prominent leaders including Vice President JD Vance, Trump reflected on their long friendship, sharing humorous anecdotes such as the time he accidentally revealed Graham\u2019s personal cell phone number, which led to a lasting camaraderie. Trump highlighted Graham\u2019s strong support for U.S. foreign policy, especially his backing of Ukraine and Israel, and characterized him as an unwavering believer in American power and victory.<\/p>\n<p>Along with the memorial, Trump held separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, both of whom expressed recognition for U.S. support. Trump noted positive and productive discussions with both leaders,particularly with Zelensky,whose relationship with Trump has improved since earlier tensions. Trump also addressed the ongoing Iran conflict, downplaying reports of tension with Netanyahu and emphasizing continued cooperation aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The event underscored Graham\u2019s influential role and the impact of his foreign policy stance, as global leaders gathered to honor his legacy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> paid tribute to his friend, the late Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"737\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC), with jokes, anecdotes, and a touching reflection on his decadeslong career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cToday we gather with the deepest gratitude, profoundest sorrow, to honor 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, and that can only be the one and only Lindsey Graham,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4664197\/tribute-lindsey-graham-phone-number-iran-ukraine-war-netanyahu-zelensky\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump pays tribute to \u2018respected statesman\u2019 Lindsey Graham: \u2018He felt in his bones that our destiny is to win\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4666296\/trump-lindsey-graham-phone-number-eulogy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump jokes Lindsey Graham got last laugh after he shared senator\u2019s phone number with public<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4665559\/trump-says-lindsey-graham-urged-iran-deal\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says Lindsey Graham urged him to cut a deal with Iran<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of Washington\u2019s top lawmakers gathered on Tuesday for Graham\u2019s funeral, including Vice President JD Vance, who also called him an \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4665746\/jd-vance-lindsey-graham-memorial-service-true-american-original\/\">American original<\/a>\u201d in his eulogy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the speech, Trump alternated between lighthearted moments and tense moments in their relationship. Trump even jokingly reiterated Graham\u2019s phone number during his speech, referencing a previous moment when he shared the late senator\u2019s number during their battle for the presidency in 2015.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI did something that I shouldn\u2019t have done,\u201d said Trump. \u201cI shared his personal cell phone number with the millions of people that happened to be watching that particular day. As I made a speech, a very important speech, and I remember the number 202-228-0292. If anybody wants to give it a shot, his phone exploded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe said, \u2018I had that number for 20 years.\u2019 His phone totally \u2014 I don\u2019t know what he did with it \u2014 but it exploded,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThat was the beginning of a friendship, in a way. But it was Lindsey who had the last laugh because while I blew up his phone for one day, we became great friends, and Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years. It was not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral service came mere hours after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"378\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> and Ukrainian President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/volodymyr-zelensky\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"891\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> separately at the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham, one of the Senate\u2019s most tenacious war hawks, was a strong supporter of Ukraine\u2019s battle against Russia and the U.S. backing of Israel, even if it meant clashing with members of the Trump administration who prioritized an America First approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe had unwavering faith in the righteousness of American power and prayer. He was extremely hawkish,\u201d Trump said about Graham\u2019s background. \u201cI will tell you, he never saw a war that he didn\u2019t like. Only his true friends would understand that. But he wanted it for the good of our country. He felt in his bones that our destiny is to win, and that his job was to do everything he could to ensure our enemies would lose.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The president also alluded to Graham\u2019s foreign policy with his comments about the world leaders, including Zelensky and Netanyahu, who also gathered for the funeral. \u201cHe had tremendous friendships all over the world,\u201d Trump recalled. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to his towering impact that among those mourning him here today are leaders, presidents, prime ministers from all over the globe, sitting right here before you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s meetings with the two leaders earlier were held behind closed doors away from the prying eyes of the press. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on social media that \u201cBoth meetings were positive and productive!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zelensky also claimed to have had a productive meeting with Trump before meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,\u201d Zelensky wrote. \u201cWe also spoke about diplomacy \u2013 it\u2019s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the United States for its firm support.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A good meeting with President Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@POTUS<\/a> at the Oval Office. Thank you for everything we do together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and advance peace. First and foremost, I offered President Trump our condolences on the passing of Lindsey Graham. He was a true friend of\u2026 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/56yoaeqb2B\">pic.twitter.com\/56yoaeqb2B<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Volodymyr Zelenskyy \/ \u0412\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 (@ZelenskyyUa) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZelenskyyUa\/status\/2082125765634822619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s relationship with Zelensky appears to be improving after a disastrous showdown in the Oval Office in February 2025. The two met at the NATO conference in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this month. \u201cWe\u2019ve actually developed a good relationship. It\u2019s hard to believe,\u201d Trump said during a press conference with the Ukrainian leader then.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Trump\u2019s relationship with Netanyahu has hit a rough patch as the Iran war has dragged on. Five months to the exact date the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, Netanyahu descended in Washington with less security in his relationship with the president.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During an early morning appearance on <em>Fox &#038; Friends<\/em>, Trump batted down reports that the Israeli prime minister would give him new information about increased activity at the alleged Iranian nuclear site, Pickaxe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t need Bibi to tell me that,\u201d said Trump. \u201cBibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4665746\/jd-vance-lindsey-graham-memorial-service-true-american-original\/\">VANCE REMEMBERS LINDSEY GRAHAM AS \u2018A TRUE AMERICAN ORIGINAL\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netanyahu downplayed any tensions during his comments after the meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump,\u201d he said. \u201cA conversation with full partnership and mutual support, with an understanding of a shared goal, to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I have had with the President of the United States. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas and coordinate arrangements that are important for the security and future of the State of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump honors Lindsey Graham with jokes, stories, and heartfelt tribute<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":2636805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26209667986685-e1785266759478.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32283,83349,38581,9122,3634],"class_list":["post-2636804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-lindsey-graham","tag-phone-friends","tag-political-humor","tag-tribute","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26209667986685-e1785266759478.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2636804"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2636807,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636804\/revisions\/2636807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2636805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2636804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2636804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2636804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}