Lara Trump has responded to criticism after being seen checking her watch during the funeral service for the late South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The incident occurred at the memorial service held at Washington National Cathedral on July 28.
Following the service, footage of Trump looking at her watch circulated online, prompting accusations that she appeared bored or disengaged. In response, Trump addressed the scrutiny on an episode of her show, "The Right View With Lara Trump," urging critics to "get over themselves."
She explained that the reason for checking her watch was an urgent call from the summer camp her children were attending in New York. "Any parent knows that’s not good, that means there's a problem and they may need to reach me. That means someone is hurt or something," Trump stated.
Trump elaborated that she discreetly attempted to ascertain the situation to determine if she needed to leave the service. "I did what any parent would do, and I tried to, very discreetly, inquire as to what was going on so that I could at least know that I had the ability to stay seated in the funeral," she said. She characterized the online reaction as a case of "so much of what you see out there is manipulated" and lacking full context.
Fortunately, both of her children were unharmed. Trump, who is married to Eric Trump and shares two children, emphasized that her action was a normal parental response to a potentially serious situation.
Donald Trump, Lara Trump's father-in-law, also spoke at the funeral, remembering Graham as a "legend" who rose from humble beginnings to become a significant figure in the U.S. Senate. He praised Graham for his dedication to his home state of South Carolina and for his work in building a "strong America."
Senator Lindsey Graham passed away unexpectedly at the age of 71. He had served as a Republican senator for South Carolina since 2003.