Who is expected to attend Lindsay Graham’s funeral? See list
An elaborate funeral service spread over two days is set to take place across Washington, DC, and South Carolina for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11.
Funeral services for the late senator from South Carolina will begin July 28 with an arrival ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, where his casket will be escorted into the Rotunda by an Armed Forces team in recognition of his military service. A short program will be held there, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a statement obtained by the Greenville News, a part of the USA TODAY Network. While the ceremony will be closed to the public, it will be available to view via livestream.
“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.
Sen. Graham’s office said he died of a “brief and sudden illness,” with a medical examiner later ruling that he died of aortic dissection. He had just returned to Washington, DC, after a trip to Ukraine.
Graham’s casket will then be taken to the Washington National Cathedral for an invitation-only service at 2 p.m. local time, where President Donald Trump is expected to give a tribute. The service will be livestream on the cathedral’s website. USA TODAY will also be streaming the service live.
Following the service, Graham’s body will be flown to South Carolina.
Who is attending Lindsey Graham’s funeral?
Politicians, world leaders and members of the Senate are expected to attend Graham’s funeral service on Tuesday, July 28 in Washington, DC. Here’s what we know so far about who will be attending Graham’s funeral services:
- President Donald Trump: The president is expected to give a tribute to the late senator during the ceremony.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: The leader, in a July 27 post on X, said he will pay “last respects to a true friend of mine and of the State of Israel, Senator Lindsey Graham” on his visit to the United States.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: ABC News, citing a Ukrainian official, reported Zelenskyy will attend Graham’s funeral. Graham had visited Ukraine just before his death.
- Senior government officials, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel are also expected to be in attendance.
- Members of the Senate and Congress.
- Former presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden are also likely to attend. Both men separately paid rich tributes to Graham at the time of his passing.
Will there be a public service?
Two public services for Graham are planned in South Carolina on July 29. A funeral procession from the south side of the South Carolina State House in Columbia begins at 10:45 a.m. local time with an F-16 flyover at 11 a.m.
The public can pay their respects along the procession route that continues to the First Baptist Church of Columbia, according to Graham’s office. Seating at the church will be first come, first served.
Graham’s family will later have a private burial in Pickens County.
Contributing: Bella Carpentier, Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
