Flags lowered to half-staff for Sen. Lindsey Graham
Flags fly at half-staff at the Washington Monument following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on July 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has ordered that flags at all federal buildings will fly at half-staff for the rest of the week to honor late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Big picture view:
According to the White House statement, flags will be lowered until Saturday July 18, at 6 p.m. The order affects all federal buildings and grounds, all military posts and naval vessels, as well as overseas buildings and facilities.
South Carolina order flags lowered as well
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has made a similar announcement affecting the state Graham represented in either the U.S. House or the Senate since 1995.
What they're saying:
"The Governor orders that flags atop the State Capitol be lowered to half-staff immediately and to remain at half-staff until further order in honor of Lindsey Graham and in recognition of his extraordinary legacy and lifetime of dedicated service to South Carolina and the United States," the South Carolina government website wrote in a section announcing the flag directive.
The backstory:
The prominent, longtime senator died early Sunday morning at the age of 71. Preliminary findings show Graham died for an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
During his more than three decades in elected office, Graham served on several influential Senate committees, including Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works.
RELATED: Who is Darline Graham Nordone, the choice to fill Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat?
On Monday afternoon McMaster tapped Graham’s sister Darline Graham Nordone to finish his term, which was set to expire in January.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from White House, State of South Carolina website, and previous coverage. This story was reported from Orlando.