Flags are flying at half-staff in South Dakota in honor of late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Gov. Larry Rhoden issued the order in accordance with a federal one issued Monday morning, July 13, by President Donald Trump. Flags will be at half-staff until July 18.
Graham died July 11 at 71 after a brief illness.
“I will miss Lindsey’s friendship more than I can say,” U.S. Sen. and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said during a tearful eulogy given to an empty senate floor July 13. “It’s difficult to count the ways in which Lindsey’s friendship made this job richer and its burdens lighter.”
A picture taken on July 10, 2026, shows U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham speaking to the media after his meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Thune described Graham as a “senator, warrior, patriot, statesman” during his address, praising the late senator for his willingness to reach across the aisle and for his staunch conservative and interventionist positions. He spoke about Graham’s commitment to and defense of American military action, underpinned by his unwavering support for Ukraine and for Israel.
“He was confident that the United States could be a force for good and he gave everything he had to ensuring that we would be,” Thune said. “He was a friend and defender of freedom-loving peoples all over the world.”
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Thune and Trump have been vocal about their support for Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to replace his seat.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump jokingly urges Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and his fellow senators to return to the Capitol to vote for more judge nominees during an event to celebrate federal judicial confirmations in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
Mike Rounds, South Dakota’s other U.S. senator, took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to eulogize South Carolina’s late Senator.
“Saddened by the sudden loss of my friend Lindsey Graham. He was a public servant who cared deeply for South Carolina and the people he served. Lindsey was also a foreign policy hawk and a friend to our allies around the world,” Rounds tweeted. “America lost a good public servant, and I lost a good friend. I’ll continue to pray for Lindsey’s family and all who knew and loved him as we grieve this loss.”
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The South Dakota Democratic Party made a Facebook post offering their condolences after Graham’s death.
“The South Dakota Democratic Party extends our condolences to the family, friends, and staff of Senator Lindsey Graham following his passing,” the post reads. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Gov. Larry Rhoden orders flags at half-staff for Lindsey Graham