The president Donald Trump ordered this Sunday that all American flags on national territory be flown at half-staff until next Saturday at 6 p.m., in a gesture of mourning for the death of Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away on Saturday night at the age of 71 after a brief and sudden illness.
The statement was published by Trump on his platform Truth Social this Sunday: "In honor of the extraordinary life and achievements of Senator Lindsey Graham, a dear friend of mine and a truly exceptional man, who contributed so much to our country and his beloved home state of South Carolina, I order that all American flags throughout the United States be flown at half-staff until Saturday night at 6 p.m."
The White House immediately complied with the order. The official account Rapid Response 47 posted an image of the presidential residence with the American flag at half-mast in front of the building, confirming compliance with the decree.
In a separate message on the same platform, Trump expanded on his tribute: "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the best people and senators I have ever known, has passed away! He was always working and was a true American patriot. We will miss Lindsey greatly!"
The president also revealed that he had spoken with Graham by phone just hours before his death, as the senator was returning from a trip to Ukraine and confirmed his support for the bill known as the SAVE America Act. Trump described the loss as "a great blow."
Graham, who had just turned 71 years old two days before his passing, represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003 and chaired the Budget and Judiciary committees.
He served as a military lawyer in the Air Force and retired from the Reserve in 2015 with the rank of colonel.
Although he was Trump's rival during the 2016 Republican primaries, over time he became one of Trump's most loyal allies on national security and foreign policy.
In recent months, Graham had made the cause of Cuba one of his priorities.
After the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, he called the Cuban regime "the head of the serpent" of Latin American authoritarianism and warned its leaders: "If I were you, I'd be looking for a new place to live."
On March 8, Graham appeared on television wearing a cap with the slogan "Cuba libre" and stated, "Cuba is next. They will fall. This communist dictatorship in Cuba has its days numbered."
In May, he supported the efforts to criminally prosecute Raúl Castro for the shooting down of the planes from Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.
The Cuban-American congressman Mario Díaz-Balart mourned the loss of someone he described as "more than a colleague" and highlighted their work in defending national security.
The congressman Carlos A. Giménez expressed that he is "deeply saddened" and recalled Graham's strong support for the cause of freedom for the Cuban people.
One of his recent public statements summarized his position: "The liberation of the wonderful people of Cuba from the clutches of communism is very near."
Filed under: