Rotunda tribute and Cathedral funeral announced for Lindsey Graham

Savannah Behrmann, CQ-Roll Call on Jul 21, 2026

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WASHINGTON — The late Sen. Lindsey Graham will be honored with a ceremony in the Capitol’s Rotunda ahead of a funeral at the National Cathedral next Tuesday.

“For so many of us in the Senate and the House, myself included, Lindsey was more than a colleague, he was a friend,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in a statement. “From the military to state politics to decades of representing South Carolinians in Congress, Lindsey dedicated his life to giving back through public service.”

Graham’s remains will be carried into the Rotunda by an Armed Forces Body Bearer Team to mark his years of service in the Air Force, and remain under memorial guard as a nod to his more than two decades in the Senate.

“As we say our final goodbyes, it seems fitting for his friends and colleagues to give back to him through this special Capitol honor,” Thune said of Graham, who died unexpectedly July 11 following an aortic dissection, according to preliminary medical examiner findings.

The Rotunda memorial will not include public viewing hours. That differs from a short list of senators, including the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona in 2018, who have lain in state in the Rotunda over the years as members of the public file through to pay their respects.

President Donald Trump is expected to deliver a tribute during the service at the Cathedral. Graham had built a close relationship with Trump — some labeled him the president’s “Senate whisperer.”

“He will arrive to South Carolina one last time” Tuesday evening, according to the office of his sister, Sen. Darline Graham. She was recently appointed to take over the vacant Senate seat and is now seeking a full term following the backing of the president.

“I am grateful to all those who have come together to help honor and remember Lindsey,” she said in a statement.

The following day, Wednesday, will feature memorials in Columbia, South Carolina, followed by a private burial in Pickens County, where Graham was a native.

A procession route, open to the public, will take place from the South Carolina State House to the First Baptist Church of Columbia and include an F-16 flyover from the 169th Fighter Wing of the McEntire Joint National Guard Base, according to Darline Graham’s office.

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(Daniela Altimari contributed to this report.)