California lawmakers remember Sen. Graham as ‘larger than life’

California lawmakers remember Republican Senator Lindsey Graham as a war hawk and an ally of President Donald Trump with a great sense of humor.

The South Carolina representative died Saturday night at age 71 from a “brief and sudden illness,” according to his office. No further details were provided as of Sunday morning.

A onetime opponent turned steadfast ally of President Trump, Graham was a strong advocate for interventionist U.S. foreign policy. He fiercely supported Israel and Ukraine and recently backed aggressive military action against Iran.

Before winning his Senate seat in 2002, Graham worked as an Air Force lawyer, served in the Air Force Reserve while in Congress and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He sought reelection to the Senate in 2026, defeating five challengers to win the Republican primary.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., described Graham as “larger than life” in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning.

“I think we’re all trying to wrap our heads around this giant loss,” he said. “He was one of those figures that… was so filled with energy that it’s hard to imagine him gone.”

Schiff said Graham was a politician who could disagree without being disagreeable. He cited his late colleague’s “wonderful sense of humor that he used to cut through the tension,” including “jests” he made about individuals of both sides of the political aisle.

The Californian senator recalled traveling with Graham and observing the respect world leaders held for him.

Schiff also emphasized Graham’s closeness to President Trump.

“Many of us consider him the Trump whisperer. If we wanted to know what the president’s thinking was, or how he might be moved on something, you would go to Lindsey to discuss it,” he said.

Ultimately, however, Schiff said he remembers Graham’s “quick wit,” “wonderful sense of humor” used to advance his policy positions and “tremendous grasp of foreign policy” — especially his staunch support of Ukraine.

Graham recently returned from a trip to Ukraine and had been scheduled to appear on Sunday morning’s “Meet the Press.”

Like Schiff, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, expressed his condolences and recognized Graham’s service in an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker.

“He obviously served this country honorably in the Air Force,” Khanna said. “He was someone who bucked his own party on immigration, who talked about having undocumented people have a pathway to citizenship.”

Graham was part of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” a group of senators during the Obama administration that explored legislation coupling border security enhancements with a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He also previously worked with Democrats to help “dreamers” brought to the U.S. as children.

Still, Graham’s stance on immigration shifted rightward in recent years. The late senator abandoned the Dream Act, supported President Trump’s agenda on mass deportations and called for a crackdown on “sanctuary cities” before his death.

While Khanna paid his respects to Graham, he also acknowledged their “profound disagreements on foreign policy” and voiced his belief that younger generations prefer a more human rights oriented foreign policy to foreign wars.

Sen. Alex Padilla D-Calif., issued the following statement regarding the passing of Graham:

“I am shocked to hear of the sudden passing of Senator Graham. While we disagreed on much, I respect Lindsey’s dedication to public service, from his time in the military, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Angela and I are praying for his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”