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Senator Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died at age 71 just one day before he was scheduled to make what would have been his 64th appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“As we reflect on the life and legacy of Senator Linsey Graham, we here at Meet the Press want to extend our deepest condolences to his friends, his family and his colleagues,” Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker said on the Sunday, July 12, episode of the NBC program. “Senator Graham was not only a fixture on Capitol Hill but on this broadcast as well.”
She continued, “He was scheduled to appear on the show this morning for what would have been his 64th appearance. Senator Graham was one of the show’s most frequent guests, second only to hsi dear friend, the late Senator John McCain.”
The South Carolina senator’s office confirmed early Sunday morning that Graham had died the previous evening at the age of 71 after battling a “brief and sudden illness.”
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” a spokesperson for the late politician said in a written statement shared via X. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
President Donald Trump called into Meet the Press’ Sunday program in the wake of the senator’s death, detailing what he said was perhaps the final phone call the politician made before he died.
“So, what makes it even stranger is I got a call last night something in the early evening — maybe in the sevens — and he called and said, ‘We’re all set for the Save America Act,’ the president, 80, said, referring to his controversial voting bill that many experts have argued will actually make it more difficult for U.S. citizens to vote.
”He was pushing the Save America Act like crazy,” the president continued. “He got back, said he just landed from Ukraine, I said, ‘That’s a long trip.’ He sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired — he had the right to be, he was a worker. He was really a worker. But he sounded great, actually. But he actually said he was tired.”
Trump added, “But he wanted to pass the Save America Act, and I said, “Well, we’re gonna get it done, Lindsey. We’re gonna get it done. See you soon.’ We might even meet today, and then that was it. That was very, around the time… it couldn’t have been much longer. It could have been his last call, I don’t know exactly.”
During Sunday’s tribute, Welker detailed Graham’s final appearance on the program, sharing that the show gifted him a picture that used to hang in a green room.
“During his last appearance on the show this past May we presented him with a photo that previously hung in the Meet the Press green room from a joint appearance with Senator McCain in 2017,” Welker explained. “It was a fitting moment for a senator who understood the power of this program.”
She concluded, “Senator Graham was a frequent guest because he believed in the idea that democracy is strengthened when we continue the conversation even when we disagree.”
