I will recap Senator Tim Scott’s on-air tribute to Lindsey Graham, highlight personal stories Scott shared about Graham’s humor and commitment, cover their connections with President Trump and others, include the viral 2015 video anecdote, and preserve the original quoted passages and embed markers for the video segments.
Sen. Tim Scott appeared on national television to deliver a clear, heartfelt remembrance of his friend Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly at 71. Scott spoke as a colleague and as someone personally welcomed into the Senate by Graham when he was a new member. He stressed Graham’s loyalty, his knack for levity even in hard moments, and the way personal hardship shaped his public life.
Scott told a story that showed both Graham’s humor and his devotion to routines that mattered to him, painting a picture of a man who could make you laugh while revealing how deeply he cared. He recalled organizing the South Carolina prayer breakfast in Washington and how Graham joked about not attending anything that started before 10 a.m. The anecdote landed as evidence of a personality that mixed affection for tradition with a biting, self-aware wit.
Below Scott’s remarks, the interview included a segment labeled “Watch:” and an embedded clip to show his comments in context.
…[O]ne of the most important stories about Lindsey Graham is that, when I was a new senator, he welcomed me in.
He knew that my path was different. He understood the power of change in South Carolina and how much our state had changed. But he was one of the first folks in the Senate to welcome me in with open arms. And I will say that I do a South Carolina prayer breakfast there every year in D.C.
And I called Lindsey the first time. And Lindsey says: “Tim, if this thing starts before 10:00 a.m., I’m not coming, because I’m not going even if Jesus comes back before 10:00 a.m.”
https://x.com/CNNSOTU/status/2076329842711167183
And I just laughed out loud, and, of course, it started at 8:30. And he [sic] walked in the door at 8:31? Lindsey Graham. He was just the kind of committed person that you don’t really appreciate how much — how committed he was to America.
Scott emphasized that Graham’s sense of responsibility grew out of real hardship, noting that Graham took on family duties at a young age after his parents died. He described how Graham adopted his younger sister and how those experiences fueled his passion for issues like cancer research and caring for people in need. Scott said Graham never wanted anyone to feel invisible in his presence and that he used humor to lift heavy moments.
SCOTT: I can’t think, Jake, of a more committed public servant to this country. His family was his sister that he adopted when he was 19 and she was 13 because their parents died within 15 months.
[…]
Because of the pain of his past, his father dying of a massive heart attack at I think it was 69 years old, his mother dying of cancer, Lindsey Graham had a passion for so many of the important issues around cancer research and around taking care of people.
He didn’t want anyone to feel invisible in his presence. And he used levity and wit to help people go through really hard times. And I got to tell you, it’s just a devastating loss for our state of South Carolina, and, frankly, for me as an individual.
Tapper asked Scott about Graham’s relationship with President Donald Trump, which evolved from fierce primary opponents into a working friendship over the years. Scott explained that Graham’s clarity and consistent character gradually earned President Trump’s respect and that the two men learned to disagree without becoming disagreeable. He credited golf as the low-pressure setting where their bond deepened and where competitive spirit turned into mutual regard.
SCOTT: Yes, Jake, there’s no doubt.
If you rewind more than a decade, you will find Lindsey Graham is a strong guy running for president, trying to make his case to the American people, and he was as aggressive against Donald J. Trump at the time as he could possibly be. He wanted to win. He had a strong desire to win.
And over time, however, Lindsey Graham’s clarity and transparency caught the attention of President Trump. And as a result, they spent more time together. They did not always agree, but they always agreed to disagree without being disagreeable.
Now, if you were in the room, as I have been on a couple of occasions, you might not think that. But the truth of the matter is that they figured out how to have a friendship.
The piece also recalled a lighter moment from 2015 when Graham embraced viral humor after a tense exchange on the campaign trail, turning an attack into a joke that connected with millions. That episode was summarized and then followed by a preserved clip marker for the tongue-in-cheek production that helped the moment spread online.
“How to Destroy Your Cell Phone With Sen. Lindsey Graham”
Lindsey Graham had a sense of humor. In July 2015, during the Republican presidential primaries, Trump retaliated against Graham (who had criticized him) by giving out Graham’s cell number to a crowd and encouraging calls to his number. Graham’s team worked with IJReview (Independent Journal Review) to produce a tongue-in-cheek video showing ways to “dispose” of an old phone.
It went massively viral (millions of views across platforms and news coverage).
Scott closed with reflections about shared service and the fragility of life, saying the loss was both personal and statewide. He urged prayer and a renewed focus on duties ahead while acknowledging the human side of serving in public life. The interview preserved laughter and grief in equal measure, offering a portrait of a man both serious about service and quick with a line to ease the room.
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