Trump omits mention of Lindsey Graham in first speech after senator's death

Donald Trump's first public address following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham made no mention of the South Carolina Republican's passing. Instead, the president used the platform to promote an upcoming IndyCar race.

Speaking on Monday, Trump appeared entirely at ease as he advertised the two-day August event, scheduled to take place on the National Mall in celebration of America's 250th anniversary. He teased Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for being named a three-time world champion in the 90-foot lumberjack speed climb and joked with Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks about what Trump predicted would be "big ratings."

"It will be an awesome display of American patriotism and raw horsepower, ingenuity. You're going to see cars at the level that they've never been at before, with cars racing more than 190 miles and even higher than that down Pennsylvania Avenue," Trump said, describing the event as a spiritual successor to his UFC 250 fight.

"It wasn't exactly designed for that, but what Sean Duffy has done with these incredible, brilliant people is really amazing," he continued. "It's going to be a sight for the ages."

Graham's Death and Trump's Initial Reaction

Senator Lindsey Graham passed away on Saturday night after what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness." A preliminary medical report released Sunday morning found that Graham died from a tear in his aorta due to hardening of the arteries.

In interviews on Sunday, Trump described Graham as "like a member of the family" and called his death "very tough." Speaking with NBC's Meet the Press, Trump recalled speaking with Graham on Saturday night after the senator returned from a trip to Ukraine, noting that Graham had "sounded a little bit tired, but perfect."

"It's devastating. I thought he was fine. He called me last night," Trump told CNN. "What a terrible loss it is. He was a great politician. He was a natural. There are very few of them."

The president also praised what he considered some of Graham's finest Senate moments, including his impassioned defense of Brett Kavanaugh during the 2018 Supreme Court nomination process.

"I think it was a top ten, maybe a top five, moment in the history of the Senate," Trump told CNN. "It was an incredible display, and he did it from the heart. He felt strongly about Brett, and he did it from the heart—and it turned that whole thing around."

Shift in Tone by Monday Morning

By Monday, Trump's tone had shifted markedly. During a call-in to Fox News, he reduced Graham's 23-year Senate career to a single political misstep following the January 6 insurrection.

"He had one bad moment, and that was on the Jan. 6 thing when he stood up [and said], 'All right, now I've had it. That's it. I can't do it anymore,'" Trump recalled, laughing. "Then he called me like about 40 minutes later, and he said, 'Did I really say that? I can't believe it.' And he took it back. So I give him a 99 instead of a 100, 'cause most people, a lot of people are at 100, but he did have that one little moment and it was sorta funny."

At the time, Graham had declared "enough is enough" regarding Trump's 2020 election conspiracy theories, though he quickly reversed course when Trump returned to power.

Fox News hosts struggled to redirect the president toward discussing Graham's death. Instead, Trump remained fixated on his SAVE America Act, spending the remainder of the broadcast complaining about mail-in ballots and what he described as California's rigged elections.

Related reading: Lindsey Graham's Legacy? It's About One Thing Only, and It Isn't Good

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