Graham’s Funeral Draws Bipartisan Mourners and Global Leaders at Washington National Cathedral

Sen. Lindsey Graham was remembered at Washington National Cathedral in a service that underscored his long, sometimes contradictory, but deeply felt presence on the national stage. Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died July 11 at age 71, was honored by colleagues from both parties, members of the Trump administration, and international leaders.

Seated in the choir loft, Juliane Schauble, Washington correspondent for Die Zeit, and I watched an overflow crowd of dignitaries file through the cathedral. One memorable moment: Sen. John Fetterman — known for his casual dress — left the service in a business suit, prompting the exclamation, "Oh, my gosh! Fetterman's wearing a business suit!"

Bipartisan Attendance

Several Senate Democrats attended the funeral to pay their respects, including Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). Earlier in the day, Senate Democrats such as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) honored Graham at a remembrance in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

For many journalists who covered Graham, the turnout from both parties served as a reminder of a hallmark of his career: an ability to forge personal relationships across the aisle and a reputation for "disagreeing without being disagreeable."

Alliances and High-Profile Eulogies

The service also highlighted Graham’s alliances. Former President Donald Trump delivered the principal eulogy, and nearly every cabinet member attended — including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has not yet been confirmed for the permanent post.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh occupied a prominent seat in the cathedral. Graham’s forceful defense of Kavanaugh during the 2018 confirmation hearings — when Kavanaugh denied sexual misconduct allegations from his teen years — remains one of the most remembered episodes of his Senate tenure. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham famously denounced those allegations at the time as "the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics," calling the episode a "charade." Both Sen. J.D. Vance, speaking at the Capitol, and commentator Sean Hannity at the cathedral later invoked Graham’s fiery defense in their remembrances.

Home-State Support and Global Connections

Delegations from South Carolina attended in force. Republicans who had supported Graham at various times — even when they disagreed with him — shared memories of the man they had watched since he first won a seat in the state legislature in 1992. Among the attendees from his home state were former state GOP chairs Van Hipp and Chad Connelly.

Two of the most publicized mourners were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Both moved easily among the other attendees and spoke of their personal friendships with Graham, though they were also pressed about the crises confronting their countries. One attendee wryly quipped that if either leader soon reached a peace deal, someone might jokingly dub it the "funeral agreement."

"Lindsey Graham was a politician of many sides," people who covered him said — and the service sought to reflect and celebrate the range of those elements in his public life.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.

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