President Donald Trump revealed that his last conversation with the late Senator Lindsey Graham was about passing the SAVE America Act, a conversation that took place just hours before Graham died unexpectedly from a sudden illness.
As Trending Politics reported, Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker that Graham called him on Saturday evening around 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The senator had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and toured a Ukrainian drone factory. Because of course Lindsey Graham would come back from a war zone, jet lagged and exhausted, and immediately pick up the phone to talk legislative strategy. The man never turned it off.
"He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, 'Well, we're going to get it done, Lindsey. We're going to get it done. I'll see you, like, soon,'" the president said. Trump added that the two believed they might meet on Sunday. He described Graham as sounding "perfect" during the call, noting that "other than being tired, he was fine."
Trump later observed that the call "could've been his last call." That is the kind of detail that just sits with you.
The president characterized Graham as "like a member of the family to me," which is notable given that their relationship started with all the warmth of two cats in a bathtub. Trump acknowledged the rocky beginnings himself, saying, "We sort of got a little bit friendly, and just the friendship grew... It just grew, and he was an amazing advocate. He was, I don't know how you find anybody like him."
Trump praised Graham's ability to work across the aisle, a skill that is roughly as rare in Washington as a politician who returns your phone call without wanting something. "He had a unique ability, he was able to deal with Democrats and Republicans. If I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out. He was a great politician, actually," Trump said.
The president also singled out Graham's fiery defense of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings, calling it "literally, one of the great classics of anyone in the Senate." Hard to argue with that one. That moment turned Graham from a senator people sometimes forgot about into a guy who generated more video clips than a cat on a Roomba.
On the question of who fills Graham's Senate seat, Trump played coy. He said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster would appoint a temporary replacement, with an election to follow. "Some are good, some are bad. And but I have somebody that I like, but I'm not going to tell you who now because it's too soon," Trump stated. So he definitely has someone picked out. He just wants you to know he has someone picked out while pretending he does not want you to know.
Trump also ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. in honor of Graham, recognizing what he called "the remarkable life and achievements" of the senator.
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