Instead, Donald Trump called into the show to praise his longtime ally.

Sen. Lindsey Graham was set to appear on Meet the Press before death at 71 from ‘brief and sudden illness’

Instead, Donald Trump called into the show to praise his longtime ally.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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July 12, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

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Sen. Lindsey Graham on May 12. Credit:

om Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

- Sen. Lindsey Graham died Saturday night after a “brief and sudden illness.”

- The republican senator was set to appear on Meet the Press the following morning to discuss his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

- Instead, Donald Trump appeared in his place, speculating that he spoke to Graham “minutes” before his death.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was elected to his Senate seat in 2002 and has become a close ally of President Donald Trump, died suddenly on Saturday night. He was 71.

In the wake of his unexpected death, which his office attributed to a “brief and sudden illness.” *Meet the Press* host Kristen Welker paid tribute to the politician who was set to join her on the news program on Sunday morning.

“It would have been his 64th appearance on this broadcast,” Welker wrote on social media, sharing a photo of herself and Graham together. “We are sending our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.”

The Sunday show would have seen Graham discuss his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Lindsey Graham and Kristen Welker on ‘Meet the Press’ on March 10, 2024.

William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty

In lieu of the senator, the broadcast welcomed Trump to reflect on [Graham’s] life and legacy. During his last-minute appearance on the show, Trump, 80, told Welker that he spoke to Graham on Saturday night, speculating that it “could’ve been minutes” before his death.

“[He told me] nothing, he said he was feeling a little tired,” the president shared. Then, acknowledging Graham’s recent trip to Ukraine, Trump noted, “It was a long trip, you know, many hours, and he had just gotten back.”

He continued, “But no, he felt okay. He was fine. I had known him well — he would let you know if he wasn’t feeling well. He had days when he didn’t feel so well, and he’d let you know about it.”

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Trump remembered the late senator as someone with a “unique ability” to work with anyone. “If I had a problem, a real problem, I wouldn’t often ask. But if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out,” Trump said. “He was a great politician, actually.”

The president also described Graham as a “fantastic person,” adding, “And you’re gonna watch: it’s gonna be a very big thing with him. He’s gonna be appreciated more now than he was when he was living, I think.”

Graham and Trump were not always on the same page. During the 2016 primary, Graham also ran for president and was not supportive of the former *Apprentice *star’s 2016 run, writing on then-Twitter in May 2016, “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.”

Later, on Nov. 8, 2016, the day Trump was first elected, he wrote, “I voted [Evan McMullin] for President. I appreciate his views on a strong America and the need to rebuild our military.” During the president’s first administration and subsequent presidential campaigns, however, he became one of his staunchest allies.

At the time of his death, the South Carolina senator was serving as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He had been seeking a fifth six-year Senate term in November before he died.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 27, 2026.

Heather Diehl/Getty

Following Graham’s death, state law allows South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the Senator’s now-vacant seat until Jan. 3. But because Graham was up for reelection this year, there will be a sprint to replace him on the November ballot, likely requiring a special primary election on Aug. 11, per state law.

During NBC News’s special report on Sunday, Welker reflected on Graham’s legacy, noting, “This is someone who is in so many ways ingrained into our politics. He has been a U.S. senator since 2002 and was seeking his fifth term in office. Had a somewhat spirited primary battle, did emerge victorious from that battle with the support of President Trump. He’s someone who has really been at the forefront of some of the major debates that this country has seen throughout the course of those four terms that he served.”

She added, “He’s really at the center of so many foreign and domestic politics of this country. From that perspective, he’s someone who will be greatly missed on both sides of the aisle.”

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Among those who have paid tribute to Graham are Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, and more.

Graham’s death comes after fellow Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was hospitalized in mid-June. He has not been seen publicly since.

Watch Trump remember Graham above.

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