'Like six foot five': Vance recalls Lindsey Graham's larger-than-life presence at funeral
.@VP honors Sen. Lindsey Graham at the U.S. Capitol: "He would walk into the United States Senate, and he would slap you on the back, he would greet the person who served us food. He treated everybody the same because he was fascinated and he loved every single person in this… pic.twitter.com/i7uqowszFR
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 28, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance honored the late Sen Lindsey Graham on Tuesday, July 28, by saying the defining trait of the longtime lawmaker was not his political stature but the way he genuinely connected with people from every walk of life.
His remarks shifted the focus from Graham's decades-long influence in Washington to the personal qualities Vance believed made him unforgettable. The tribute came as leaders from the US and abroad gathered at the Capitol to begin two days of funeral ceremonies for the South Carolina Republican.
JD Vance remembers Lindsey Graham's warmth
Speaking during the Capitol ceremony, Vance described Graham as someone who found value in every conversation, regardless of a person's position or status.
"Lindsey Graham loved people from all walks of life," Vance said. "I think, in part, because of the way that he grew up, because the fact that he wasn't handed everything."
He said Graham's curiosity extended well beyond the powerful figures he worked alongside in Washington.
"He was fascinated in everybody," Vance said. "He was fascinated in the waitstaff in the Senate dining room. He was fascinated in the people who made the food. He was fascinated in the lowest staffer who had been hired three days earlier. He was fascinated by, of course, the very leadership of our country."
Vance added that Graham's interest in others came from a genuine affection for people.
"I think he was fascinated in people because he loved people and he was interested in them," he said.
Vice President paints vivid image of Graham
Vance also offered a personal memory that captured what he saw as Graham's larger-than-life personality.
"He was the kind of guy who would walk into the Senate, and when he walked into the Senate, this was a guy who couldn't have stood more than five foot six or five foot seven, but he'd swashbuck jacket open like six foot five," Vance said.
"He had an attitude to him, and it's one of the reasons why Lindsey Graham was Lindsey Graham," he continued.
According to Vance, Graham made a point of greeting everyone he encountered with equal enthusiasm.
"He would slap you on the back, he would greet the person who served his food, he treated everybody," Vance said.
Capitol ceremonies begin for Lindsey Graham
The tribute came as Graham's American flag-draped casket arrived at the Capitol for his final visit to the building where he served for more than three decades, NBC News reported.
In recognition of his military service, an armed forces body bearer team carried the casket up the Capitol steps. Graham served as an Air Force judge advocate general officer and retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2015 with the rank of colonel, the outlet said.
Following the Capitol ceremony, Graham's casket was scheduled to be taken to Washington National Cathedral for an invitation-only funeral service, where President Donald Trump was expected to speak, it added.
Cabinet officials, members of Congress, military leaders and international figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were expected to attend.
The public remembrance will continue Wednesday at the South Carolina State House before a funeral service at First Baptist Church of Columbia and a private family burial in Pickens County.
