Donald Trump's eulogy for Lindsey Graham broke an unspoken rule of death: say nothing but good things about the departed. Instead, the president mixed praise with needling criticism, painting a portrait that revealed far more about himself than about the South Carolina senator who died at 71.
In a Fox News interview Monday, Trump remembered Graham as someone who called constantly, played poor golf, and enjoyed being outdoors. The compliments came wrapped in complaints. When asked about Graham, Trump said: "He was a great guy, and he was a friend. He would call me all the time. He would just... I'd say: 'Stop calling me, Lindsey.'"
Trump continued in the same vein, calling Graham "amazing" and a "total workaholic politician" before adding, "some people call that a lot of talking." On Truth Social the previous day, Trump had sounded more generous, writing that Graham was "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known" and calling him "a true American Patriot." But even that tribute ended with Trump's signature branding: "DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!"
The backhanded nature of Trump's remembrance reflected a complicated alliance. In 2016, when Trump was running for president, Graham called him "a jackass" and "a race-baiting bigot." After Trump won the election, Graham performed a complete reversal, becoming one of his most reliable Republican supporters. But their bond cracked on January 6. In a speech at the time, Graham said: "Trump and I, we've had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. From my point of view, he's been a consequential president but today, first thing you'll see. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough."
Graham's criticism didn't last long. Within weeks he returned to Trump's orbit. By last month, Graham was praising Trump as "not far behind God."
But Trump does not forgive disloyalty quickly or completely. When discussing that January 6 moment with Fox News, Trump said Graham called him about 40 minutes after his public rebuke. "He said: 'Did I really say that? I can't believe it,' and he took it back," Trump recalled. "So I give him a 99 instead of a 100."
Trump also couldn't resist mentioning his 2016 primary win in South Carolina, which had forced Graham to drop out of the race. And when reminiscing about Graham's golf game, Trump made sure to note that Graham "wasn't exactly perfect" and "wasn't Jack Nicklaus, he was not Tiger."
Across all these comments ran a consistent thread: Trump's need to establish dominance, to be the biggest presence in any room, even at the funeral of a man he called a friend. That impulse to rank himself above others, to keep score, to withhold full approval until the moment of death had already passed, suggested something about how Trump experiences loyalty and affection.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump apparently couldn't eulogize Graham without settling old scores and reminding everyone he was the alpha in that relationship. Even death didn't stop him from keeping score."
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