President Donald Trump said one of his closest relationships in the Senate grew out of an unlikely beginning: defeating Lindsey Graham on his own turf during the bruising 2016 Republican presidential primary.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press just hours after the South Carolina Republican’s death was announced, Trump reflected on how a bitter campaign rivalry evolved into a years-long friendship built on mutual respect and frequent conversations about legislation, politics and the Senate.
“I got to know Lindsey during the campaign. I didn’t really know him then,” Trump said. “He was tough, but he said, ‘I’ll see you in South Carolina.’”
Trump recalled winning the South Carolina primary decisively before ultimately securing the Republican nomination.
“But when it came to South Carolina, I won South Carolina by a lot… He respected it, and we sort of got a little bit friendly, and just the friendship grew.”
The relationship marked a dramatic turnaround from the early days of the 2016 campaign, when Trump and Graham publicly traded barbs and Trump famously read Graham’s personal cellphone number aloud during a campaign rally after the senator criticized him.
By the end of Graham’s career, however, Trump described him as one of the Senate’s most effective lawmakers and one of his most trusted political sounding boards.
“He was an amazing advocate. I don’t know how you find anybody like him,” Trump said. “He was so intent.”
Trump revealed that Graham’s final phone call to him came after returning from a trip to Ukraine, with the senator focused not on himself, but on advancing the SAVE America Act.
“This is a big blow to the SAVE America Act,” Trump said, adding that Graham remained deeply invested in the legislation until the very end.
Recalling their final conversation, Trump said he invited Graham to visit the White House again.
“I said, ‘We’ll see you soon. Come over anytime you want,’” Trump recalled. “He came into the White House a lot because I liked him… He was a great temperature gauge of the Senate.”
The president also praised Graham’s political instincts, saying his greatest strength was persuading colleagues to rally behind legislation.
“Honestly, he was a great politician,” Trump said. “People don’t realize what a good politician he was. He could go in and get something approved. He would just get people on his side.”
.@POTUS on the passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham: "He's a tough one to lose. He was great — he was unique in every way… He was like a member of the family to me. It's very tough." pic.twitter.com/1ql4d8KD5j
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 12, 2026
.@POTUS on the late Sen. Lindsey Graham: "He was a great politician. People don't realize what a good politician he was… You've probably never heard me say that about anybody. There aren't too many of them… This man was a great politician. He really got it." pic.twitter.com/Is8YHjfPPi
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 12, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also appeared on Meet the Press, offered his own remembrance of Graham, calling attention to the senator’s longstanding advocacy for Israel in Congress.
Netanyahu recalled arguing with Graham over U.S. military assistance, saying the senator routinely pushed for even larger aid packages than Israel itself requested.
“He would outbid the prime minister of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
According to Netanyahu, Graham never viewed support for Israel through a political lens.
“I support Israel, and I think you need more. And I’m going to fight for this,” Netanyahu recalled Graham telling him. “This is who Lindsey Graham was.”
Netanyahu on Lindsey Graham:
I said, "Lindsey, we can do with a smaller number." He said, "No, you can't."
He would outbid the Prime Minister of Israel.
He said, "I'm not getting a single vote in South Carolina for that because, you know, there are very few Jews in South… pic.twitter.com/vA1rTwYyDx
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 12, 2026
