Lara and Eric Trump join mourners at Lindsey Graham's funeral as Melania skips service

Eric Trump shared photographs from inside Washington National Cathedral and remembered Graham as “a great friend and an amazing man.” “Rest in peace, Lindsey. You will be deeply missed,” he added alongside an American flag emoji. One of the images showed Eric and Lara holding service programmes as they stood with Trump administration officials during the ceremony.

Inside Washington National Cathedral, President Trump stood with senior administration officials as mourners rose during the service. Eric Trump and Lara stood several places away from the president rather than immediately beside him. Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were positioned between Donald Trump and his son, while Lara stood alongside Eric.

The funeral also offered a glimpse of the Trump family's quiet tribute to one of the president's longest-serving political allies. The cathedral was filled with many of the figures who had worked alongside Graham throughout his decades in public office. Photographs captured moments of quiet reflection as attendees stood before the senator's casket, which rested beneath the cathedral's soaring arches surrounded by white floral arrangements. The service honoured Graham's more than two decades in the Senate and his enduring influence on Republican politics, drawing together allies from across Washington.

As the memorial service drew to a close, pallbearers solemnly carried Lindsey Graham's flag-draped casket down the aisle of Washington National Cathedral and out through its towering doors, marking the final public farewell to the longtime South Carolina senator. Family members, President Donald Trump, Eric and Lara Trump, Vice President JD Vance and hundreds of mourners stood in silence as the casket was borne from the sanctuary. The quiet procession, set against the cathedral's soaring Gothic architecture, brought an emotional end to a service celebrating Graham's decades of public life before he was escorted to his final resting place.

While President Donald Trump attended the funeral alongside Eric and Lara Trump, First Lady Melania Trump was notably absent from the service at Washington National Cathedral. The White House did not provide a public explanation for her absence. It marked another high-profile event she chose not to attend, following her decision to skip the White House Correspondents' Dinner just days earlier. Since returning as first lady, Melania has continued to make selective public appearances, joining the president for major state occasions and ceremonial events while maintaining a lower-profile schedule than many of her predecessors.