Trump says he spoke with Senator Graham hours before death

President Donald Trump revealed he spoke with Senator Lindsey Graham just hours before the senator's sudden death, describing their final conversation in interviews on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Graham, a 71-year-old Republican from South Carolina and a close Trump ally, died on Saturday night from what his office termed a "brief and sudden illness."

Trump recounted the conversation during a call-in appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" and in a separate interview with CNN. He said Graham called him around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, shortly after returning from a trip to Ukraine. The president said the senator sounded "a little tired" but was otherwise "fine" and was focused on discussing the SAVE America Act, a piece of election-related legislation. "He was pushing the SAVE America Act like crazy," Trump told moderator Kristen Welker. "I said, 'Well, we're gonna get it done, Lindsey. We're gonna get it done.'"

Authorities were called to Graham's home later that evening. Dispatch audio obtained by CNN from around 8:30 p.m. reported a person suffering chest pains and a possible cardiac arrest. Trump said he was notified of Graham's death around 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m. on Sunday....