Lawmakers from both parties wiped away tears Tuesday morning as the late Sen. Lindsey Graham was honored inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Graham, a South Carolina Republican and one of the Senate’s most recognizable voices, died unexpectedly earlier this month at 71.
His casket was brought into the Rotunda for a brief ceremonial tribute, where Republicans, Democrats, Cabinet officials and family members gathered to remember a senator who spent decades at the center of Washington’s biggest fights.
Graham lay in honor, a distinction used for prominent Americans who did not hold the most senior government or military offices.
His sister, Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, who was appointed to fill his Senate seat, fought back tears during the ceremony alongside her husband and children.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also became emotional at the end of his eulogy, joining other lawmakers who were visibly moved during the tribute.
Vice President JD Vance brought a lighter tone to part of the ceremony, recalling how Graham helped him raise money during his Senate campaign by sharing his website link during a television appearance.
‘In a four or five-minute TV appearance, Lindsey Graham raised us over $100,000, and that campaign stop was a critical part of me getting elected to the United States Senate, and of course, going on this incredible journey, that was who Lindsey Graham was,’ Vance remarked.
Vance then shifted to a more serious tribute, remembering Graham as a man who understood people and politics.
On a more serious note, Vance said, ‘I remember Lindsey Graham as a man who loved people, and because he loved people, he was willing to reason with them, to respect them, and ultimately to persuade them.’
Thune said the Senate will feel Graham’s absence in ways both personal and political.
Thune shared during his remarks that, ‘it’s hard to think that there will be no more Senate dinners with Lindsey, that he won’t be dropping by my office to discuss some piece of legislation, or make laugh with his witty commentary.’
‘But I cling to the same faith that Lindsey had, to the sure and certain hope of the resurrection and the knowledge that death is not the end. I am the resurrection, the life, says the Lord. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die,’ Thune added.
Members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet were also present, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
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Democrats from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Graham once chaired, were also seen appearing emotional during the ceremony.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who is often seen around the Capitol in a hoodie and shorts, wore a suit for the occasion.
Nordone was seen dabbing away tears with a handkerchief and comforting her daughter as Washington said goodbye to her brother.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Nordone to complete Graham’s Senate term, which expires in January.
She has since filed to seek election to the seat for a full term.
BREAKING: Sen. Darlene Graham gets emotional as she honors her late brother Lindsey by placing her hand on his casket during the Capitol ceremony. pic.twitter.com/H3CVJzU2EE
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A special primary election is set for Aug. 11. If no candidate wins a majority, the race will advance to an Aug. 25 runoff.
Graham’s death was announced shortly after 2 a.m. Eastern on July 12.
His office later said the preliminary cause of death was ‘aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.’
‘The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized, and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death,’ Graham’s spokesman added at the time.
A 911 call for ‘cardiac arrest’ was placed from Graham’s residence around 8:30 p.m. on July 11.
Tuesday’s Capitol tribute came as Washington prepared for additional services honoring Graham.
An Armed Forces body bearer team carried his casket to the Rotunda, where members of congressional leadership were expected to speak.
A funeral service was also scheduled at the National Cathedral in Washington, followed by another service Wednesday in South Carolina.
Graham’s legacy was complicated, loud and impossible to ignore.
He was a fierce defense hawk, a close Donald Trump ally in recent years and a senator who could infuriate both parties depending on the issue.
But inside the Rotunda, the fighting paused.
For one morning, Washington remembered a man who spent his life in public service, defended American power abroad and left behind a Senate seat now carried by his own sister.
In a capital that rarely stops arguing, Graham managed one final bipartisan moment.
Even his critics showed up.
And plenty of them cried.
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