'Lindsey Graham was irreplaceable': South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott
Graham "always led with faith, family, and South Carolina first," Scott said.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott was emotional when reminiscing about Sen. Lindsey Graham after his sudden passing, saying "Lindsey Graham was irreplaceable."
Scott and Graham served together in the Senate for 13 years. He remembered Graham fondly to ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz as someone who welcomed him into the Senate as the first Black senator from South Carolina.
“I will always remember Lindsey Graham as a guy who was, as soon as I was appointed to the Senate, he embraced my candidacy for re-election. He was there on the campaign trail with me,” Scott said. “To my family, he became a friend. He was one of only three or four senators I invited to my wedding because Lindsey Graham had become a part of the family. And it is a rare thing in politics, a rare thing in life to find people who are actually your friend.”
"I don't know another person who spent their entire adult life for one purpose: to make sure America remains the safest country on the planet to live," Scott added. "I think of his sister, and I think of America -- that would be the two major ingredients for Lindsey Graham's family. He was just that committed to our country."
Graham died from a "brief and sudden illness" Saturday night at 71 years old, according to a statement released by his office. An influential figure in the Republican Party, Graham's death came as a shock to senators from both parties.
Scott initially reacted to the news on X, saying South Carolina had "lost a statesman" and he had "lost a friend." Scott said Graham "always led with faith, family, and South Carolina first."
Graham had recently returned from his 10th trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and toured a drone manufacturer. He appeared in a video that Zelenskyy posted with the late senator on X, with the Ukrainian president saying, "Good meeting with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC in Kyiv. This is already his 10th visit to our country, and we appreciate this support. I'm grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors."
Initially an opponent of President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary in 2015, Graham became one of Trump's closest allies, supporting his war in Iran and many of his policies.
Trump wrote on social media, "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!"
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