OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
12:55 PM – Thursday, July 16, 2026
Late Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral service has reportedly been delayed due to the expected number of national and international guests wishing to pay respects.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Thursday that his trip to the United States, initially planned for next week, had been pushed back to the end of the month for him to attend Graham’s funeral.
In response to Graham’s death, Netanyahu said, “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
According to Reuters, citing a senior official, the Israeli leader is expected to be traveling to the U.S. on Saturday.
In addition, the official told the outlet that Netanyahu plans to meet with President Donald Trump during his visit, but it has not been confirmed that he will.
Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) also said that planners are finding it difficult to accommodate all the dignitaries who want to attend, according to WLTX on Wednesday.
“The funeral arrangements have been complicated by the fact that so many global leaders would like to attend. The process of figuring out when the National Cathedral would be made available at the exact same time that the global leaders who want to come and all the other national leaders who will be there has made it a little more difficult,” Scott said, adding, “it is an impossibility for any funeral arrangements this week.”
Scott believes that after a service in Washington, D.C., “they would move very quickly to have a funeral service in South Carolina probably within a day but no more than two days.”
“I think my understanding is that the offer has been made to lie in state,” said Scott.
He also said he has been holding a prayer breakfast for residents and businesses in South Carolina and he will honor Graham at the next event on July 22nd.
“Darline said this morning that she’s looking forward to being there,” Scott said. “I’m sure there we will have lots of Lindsey Graham stories. I’m not sure how [we will] exactly connect all the colorful language he had with Scripture, but we will try really hard to figure that out.”
Graham passed away over the weekend at 71 after returning from a trip to Ukraine due to an aortic dissection caused by hardened arteries, the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia concluded in a preliminary report on Sunday. Scott described the late senator, who had served since 2003, as “irreplaceable.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment