Former Reps. Pete King, R-N.Y., and Jack Kingston, R-Ga., speaking on Newsmax Sunday, remembered the late Sen. Lindsey Graham as a dedicated public servant, a fierce advocate for national defense, and a friend whose humor and energy made him a memorable presence on Capitol Hill.
Both lawmakers served with the South Carolina Republican after the GOP won control of the House in 1994, and they told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend" that his death Saturday night came as a shock.
Kingston said that he had spoken with Graham just two months earlier outside the Russell Senate Office Building, when Graham immediately asked about his son, who is running for Congress.
"He said, 'Hey, your son's running. I hadn't heard about it. Why haven't you called me? Is he going to win? That's all I really want to know,'" Kingston recalled. "That's how Lindsey was. He just goes straight to the point."
Kingston said Graham would be remembered for his decades of public service, particularly his work on defense, spending, and judicial issues.
"Lindsey was a pro," Kingston said. "He's going to be remembered as the leader of the Budget Committee, obviously an appropriator, somebody who was a military hawk, somebody who looked after South Carolina and somebody who was not afraid to cross party lines when it came to judiciary and other appointees."
He also reflected on Graham's early years in Congress, saying he was among the energetic freshmen who helped usher Republicans into the House majority after four decades of Democratic control.
"For Pete and me, we knew him as a classmate," Kingston said. "He was one of those ... rambunctious at times, ideological, hardworking, full of energy, freshman members who we all knew and loved."
King agreed, describing Graham as both a close friend and a committed public servant.
"I agree with everything Jack Kingston said," King agreed. "Lindsey was just a great guy. He was a lively person. He was dedicated. He was a true patriot. No one was stronger on national defense, on the military."
King said he first grew close to Graham while working together on Sen. John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign and later while serving in Congress.
"He and I actually worked together on John McCain's campaign for president in 2000," King said. "That was a guy from South Carolina and a guy from New York working together."
King said Graham's personality made him stand out among colleagues.
"As Jack said, you always knew Lindsey was in the room," King said. "I don't remember ever having a bad word, or anybody having a bad word, really, about Lindsey. He always had a smile. He had a sharp sense of humor."
King said Graham's dedication was evident whenever the two worked together on national security issues.
"When I was chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, he would call me on issues, and he was so sincere, so hardworking, a true patriot," King said. "I couldn't think of a bad word to say about Lindsey Graham. I was proud to know him. I'm proud to be able to say he's my friend. It's a great loss for the United States."
Kingston closed by recalling one of Graham's trademark moments of humor during a contentious House Republican meeting over then-Speaker Newt Gingrich's leadership.
After former NFL player Steve Largent declared that no one could intimidate him, Graham broke the tension with a joke.
"He said, 'I'm 5-foot-9. I don't weigh like Steve. I don't have his muscles. You can intimidate me,'" Kingston recalled. "It just turned the whole thing around because it was just a reminder, 'Hey, guys, we're all friends. We're just having a big family disagreement at this moment.'"
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