Scott on Graham death: ‘America’s lost a true statesman’

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said Sunday that the U.S. has “lost a true statesman” after the death of his colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

“We don’t have many left, but he was a true statesman. But I’ve lost a friend. It is a morning of mourning for me. It’s a powerful reminder that life is fleeting, that we are not here very long. If I were to tell stories about Lindsey Graham, one of the most important stories about Lindsey Graham is that when I was a new senator, he welcomed me in,” Scott told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

“He knew that my path was different. He understood the power of change in South Carolina, how much our state had changed. But he was one of the first folks in the Senate to welcome me in with open arms,” he added.

Graham died from a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday at the age of 71, his office announced. The Palmetto State senator, known as a defense hawk, was running for reelection, looking toward a fifth term in the Senate. He had served as chair of the Senate Budget Committee, as well as on the Judiciary Committee and Committee on Appropriations.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” Graham’s office wrote in a post on the social platform X at 2:02 a.m. EDT.

President Trump called Graham, once one of his political foes, “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.”

“He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Trump added in a Saturday post on Truth Social.

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