00:02When senators return to Capitol Hill this morning, they will do so without one of the
00:07chamber's most recognizable faces and voices. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden
00:13death is now shifting from a weekend of tributes to questions about who fills his seat and what
00:19his absence means for Republicans. Flags remain at half-staff across Washington after Graham
00:24died Saturday night. His spokesman says preliminary findings from the D.C. medical examiner show he
00:30died from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The 71-year-old
00:38had returned from Ukraine just hours earlier, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky
00:43and continued pushing for stronger U.S. support against Russia. On Truth Social, President Trump
00:49called Graham a true American patriot, while former President Biden remembered a senator who often
00:55disagreed with him but never lost his commitment to public service. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware
01:00was a friend and was traveling with Graham in Turkey. Over dinner to celebrate his birthday in
01:06Ankara, we were talking about how unlikely it was that either of us would end up senators.
01:12His childhood was hard. He was orphaned at a young age, and he never imagined he'd be a United States
01:19senator. He was in a good mood, having just won his primary, and he was very focused on Ukraine.
01:26We had met with President Zelensky earlier that day, and it was a great meeting.
01:31The political focus now shifts to South Carolina. Governor Henry McMaster will appoint someone to
01:37serve the remainder of Graham's term through January. At the same time, Republicans must quickly
01:42choose a new nominee for the November midterm election, as Graham was up for re-election and was
01:47seeking a sixth term. Congressman Ralph Norman is expected to announce this week whether he will
01:53run, while Congressman Nancy Mace is also considering a bid. President Trump says he already has a
01:59preferred candidate in mind but told NBC it's too soon to say who. I have somebody that I think would
02:06be great, but I don't want to say it now because it just, you know, it's too soon with Lindsey.
02:12I don't want to even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.
