'See you soon': Trump shares details of his final call with Lindsey Graham
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
Just hours before his sudden death, Senator Lindsey Graham spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump. During the call, the senator also shared his impressions from his recent trip to Ukraine.
President Trump said in his interview with Meet the Press (NBC News) that Graham called him Saturday evening to discuss the SAVE America Act, a bill that would change election procedures but currently lacks enough support to pass the Senate.
The senator told Trump he was tired but wanted to see the legislation approved.
"He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, 'Well, we'll get it done, Lindsey. We'll get it done. I'll see you soon,'" Trump recalled.
According to the president, they had planned to meet the following day.
In a separate interview with CNN, Trump said Graham also spoke about his trip to Kyiv, describing it as a visit during which he had a great time.
Graham was widely known as a leading advocate of an active Republican foreign policy and one of the strongest supporters of US assistance to Ukraine.
On Friday, one day before his death, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The senator also urged Trump to take a tougher stance on Iran.
Commenting on Graham's death, Trump said that aside from feeling tired, the senator felt good and described his passing as a quick end.
"Maybe that's not the worst way to go," the president added.
Trump said Graham was like a member of his family, noting that they spoke frequently by phone and regularly played golf together.
The US president described the late senator as someone with a unique ability to work across party lines, saying Graham could build relationships with Democrats and loved being a politician.
"If I had a problem, a real problem, I wouldn't open ask. But if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out. He was a great, a great politician actually," Trump said.
At the same time, the president acknowledged that Graham could also be "a tough cookie."
"If he wanted to get something, if he thought he was right and had people against him, he could be very tough, actually. But he was a good person," Trump added.
As previously reported, Lindsey Graham died on the evening of July 11 at the age of 71 following a brief, sudden illness. Emergency responders and police were called to his home on Capitol Hill after reports of cardiac arrest.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already reacted to the senator's passing, calling it deeply saddening news.
Earlier reports said that shortly before his death, Graham visited Ukraine, including a tour of the SkyFall drone manufacturing facility. During the visit, he praised Ukraine's drone technology.
While in Kyiv, the senator also made a series of major statements, including comments on a new package of tough sanctions against Russia, coordinated with the White House.
