Washington National Cathedral, where the funeral of former Senator Graham was held [UPI=Yonhap News]

The funeral for former Senator Lindsey Graham, a towering figure in American politics, was held in Washington D.C. on the 28th (local time).

Mourners arrived steadily throughout the morning at the Washington National Cathedral, where the late senator's body was laid in state. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance delivered eulogies.

President Trump, who considered Graham one of his closest confidants and political allies within the Republican Party, described him as "a respected statesman, a giant of the U.S. Senate, and a true original American."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also joined the procession of mourners. Key figures from the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, were all in attendance, underscoring the profound influence Graham held both domestically and internationally.

Former Senator Graham passed away suddenly on the 11th, just two days after his 71st birthday and shortly after returning from trips to Ankara, Turkey—where he attended the NATO summit—and Kyiv, Ukraine, where he discussed the war with Russia with President Zelenskyy.

The cause of his death was determined to be a heart attack resulting from an arterial rupture. The emergence of conspiracy theories—such as rumors of assassination by Russia, against whom he maintained a hardline stance, or poisoning by Iran—ironically highlights the significant status he occupied on the global stage.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who co-sponsored Russia sanctions legislation with Graham, recalled, "I will never forget our last long conversation," adding that Graham had called their agreement on the sanctions bill "a truly monumentally important thing."

Attendees at the funeral of former Senator Graham [AFP=Yonhap News]

Starting in 1995, Graham served four terms in the House of Representatives before becoming a leading voice of the traditional conservative wing of American politics, looking toward a potential fifth term as a Senator in the upcoming midterm elections this November.

The outpouring of grief from both sides of the aisle, however, reflects how his political trajectory was guided more by national interest and moral cause than by partisan agendas or personal gain.

Notable examples of his character as a "parliamentarian" included his call for bipartisan consensus on the anti-immigration policies pushed by President Trump and his firm opposition when the President directed the bypassing of the filibuster to neutralize Democratic opposition.

With both Senate party leaders (Republican John Thune and Democrat Chuck Schumer) in attendance, current and former members of Congress, such as Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and former Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), paid their respects by kissing the casket or making the sign of the cross.

Media outlets noted that even as American politics grows increasingly partisan—not only in the House but also in the tradition-bound Senate—Graham consistently practiced a "politics of dialogue and compromise," never hesitating to negotiate with the Democratic Party.

The progressive-leaning New York Times (NYT) remarked, "The sight of former and current lawmakers from both parties coming together in the Rotunda to pay tribute to Graham was deeply impressive."

The NYT highlighted the respect and support Graham garnered from across the aisle, asking, "In a Washington where politics is becoming increasingly hostile and toxic, how many more lawmakers will we see in the future who can inspire such broad mourning?"

Former Senator Graham’s body will be transported to his home state of South Carolina on the 29th. Following a memorial service attended by the Governor and other officials, he will be interred during a private family funeral.

Lawmakers mourning the death of former Senator Graham [AFP=Yonhap News]