President Donald Trump remembered the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as a "great guy" and a "friend" whose passionate defense of Brett Kavanaugh during the Supreme Court confirmation battle was a pivotal moment that "changed the course of history."
Speaking by phone to "Fox & Friends," Trump reflected on Graham's work ethic and his ability to bridge partisan divides, describing him as a politician whom "everybody" admired.
"If I had Democrat problems, he could solve them. He was a man of all different abilities, actually, and he was a nice man. He was a great guy... He was a man who had a lot of fun. He had fun with politics, but he was really good at it," Trump said.
Trump specifically recalled Graham's remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Kavanaugh's nomination, calling it a moment when "the Democrats got so sick and so angry and so crazy." He described Graham's impassioned speech as "one of the greatest 10 moments of Congress."
"And he saved Brett from a very, very unfair decision, or they would have turned a man down who was so qualified and such a good man," Trump added.
Graham's defense of Kavanaugh, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2018, has been frequently cited as a defining moment of his career since his passing.
Trump also extended condolences, stating, "We lost a great man. He was a great man. He was a great politician, and he was a kind man." He suggested that not only the United States but also Israel and Ukraine lost a significant advocate with Graham's death.
Graham's office announced that the cause of death was an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, following preliminary findings from the District of Columbia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.