Overview
- Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly on July 11 after a brief illness, and the District of Columbia medical examiner’s preliminary autopsy found an aortic dissection while toxicology and microscopic tests remain pending.
- A day of Capitol and Washington National Cathedral ceremonies on July 28 drew President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and included military honors that recognized Graham’s long Air Force service.
- South Carolina’s governor appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, as interim senator and she has entered the expedited GOP contest with the filing window closing on July 28 and a special primary set for August 11.
- Unreleased documentary footage from filmmaker Alex Holder has surfaced showing Graham praising the U.S.-led Iran campaign and saying the operation was “the best thing I’ve ever done,” an archive that is reshaping public assessment of his foreign-policy record.
- Graham’s Senate allies have moved to fast-track a bipartisan Russia sanctions package he promoted, with senators scheduling an initial procedural vote during the Washington memorials as a tribute and to press the measure forward.