President Donald Trump remembered Sen. Lindsey Graham with stories about friendship, politics and golf. However, one lighthearted remark quickly shifted attention away from the solemn tribute and sparked an awkward exchange on live television.
Donald Trump joked about Lindsey Graham’s golf skills
As memorial events honoring the late Sen. Lindsey Graham got underway on Tuesday, President Donald Trump joined Fox & Friends to reflect on his longtime ally’s legacy. The conversation began with memories of their years together, but it quickly veered into humor when Trump described Graham’s passion for golf while suggesting his talent never quite matched his enthusiasm for the game.
Asked what it was like playing golf alongside Graham, Trump praised the senator’s dedication, saying he genuinely loved the sport and kept working to improve. He then delivered a playful jab, remarking that Graham “wasn’t born to be a golfer.”
The comment briefly shifted the tone of the interview before Trump turned to Graham’s foreign policy views, recalling that he often teased the senator over his support for military interventions by telling him he had “never met a war he didn’t like” (via The Daily Beast).
The discussion became seemingly more uncomfortable when co-host Ainsley Earhardt pointed to remarks made by Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, during an earlier interview. She noted that Darline rejected the idea that her brother loved war, instead describing him as someone who wanted “peace” but believed military action sometimes became “necessary.”
The television appearance coincided with the first day of memorial services for Graham, whose casket lay in the Capitol Rotunda before a funeral at Washington National Cathedral. Trump was expected to deliver remarks later that day alongside congressional leaders and foreign dignitaries, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Graham died earlier this month after suffering an aortic dissection caused by cardiovascular disease, according to the medical examiner. Following his death, his sister, Darline Graham, received an appointment to complete his Senate term and announced plans to seek a full term after earning Trump’s public endorsement.
