Trump Says Lindsey Graham Called Before He Died and Calls Loss a Setback for SAVE America Act

Overview

• President Trump said Senator Lindsey Graham phoned him shortly before medical personnel arrived and that he was notified by Graham’s office after the senator died.
• Trump spoke about the call and Graham’s death on national Sunday programs, describing Graham as a close ally and saying the loss was a personal blow.
• Trump said Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine and had been actively pushing the Trump-backed SAVE America Act before his death.
• The accounts summarized here come from Trump’s on-air remarks as reported by outlets that compiled his CNN and NBC appearances rather than from independent reporting.
• Graham was a senior Republican senator and a prominent Trump ally, and his death could remove a key Senate backer for the SAVE America Act and complicate Republican organizing on the bill.