VOA Today's Focus (July 29, 2026): US Dignitaries and World Leaders Mourn Late Senator Graham
A memorial service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham was held in Washington, D.C., with U.S. dignitaries and multiple world leaders attending to pay their respects. In addition, Trump met separately at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the situation in the Middle East and military aid to Ukraine. The Rim of the Pacific exercise continued in Hawaii, while Washington hosted the Captive Nations Summit focusing on the new generation of communist threats.
Video Link:
Full Text:
U.S. dignitaries and world leaders gathered in the U.S. capital, Washington, to attend the memorial service for the late Senator Graham. On Tuesday morning, the memorial service for the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was first held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The casket, draped in the American flag, was escorted into the venue by an honor guard from the armed forces. Vice President Vance delivered a speech at the ceremony, reviewing Graham's political career. Senate Majority Leader Thune and other bipartisan lawmakers also attended the ceremony to pay tribute to the veteran Republican senator who served in Congress for over thirty years. At 2:00 PM, a memorial service was held at the Washington National Cathedral, where President Trump delivered a eulogy, and foreign leaders such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended.
At this afternoon's memorial service, numerous figures from the U.S. political sphere and multiple foreign leaders were in attendance. In his eulogy, President Trump reviewed his friendship with Graham over the years and spoke highly of the life of this veteran Republican senator. He said that Graham passed away at the peak of his career, working until the very last moment of his life, and was a legendary political figure. He added that Graham was also a friend unforgettable to everyone who knew him.
President Trump emphasized that Graham always believed the United States must remain strong, and he was one of the most representative foreign policy hawks within the Republican Party. Trump stated that it was this belief that led Graham to focus long-term on national security, military building, and relations between the U.S. and its allies, which also established his widespread influence in international affairs. He also pointed out that leaders from around the world coming to the site today are the best proof of Graham's international influence.
Recalling their personal relationship, Trump mentioned that during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, their relationship was not good and they even publicly criticized each other at the time, with Trump once publicizing Graham's mobile phone number. However, he said that actually marked the beginning of their friendship. Trump stated that over the following decade, Graham maintained close contact with him, the two frequently played golf together, and they built a deep friendship. This speech not only reviewed their personal relationship but also reflected how Graham later became one of Trump's most important allies in Congress.
Foreign leaders attending the ceremony today included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Netanyahu has maintained long-standing ties with Graham, who has been a significant voice in the U.S. Congress supporting Israel for years, focusing on Israel's security and the strategic relationship between the U.S. and Israel. As for Zelenskyy, he has had close interactions with Graham on Ukrainian issues. Graham is one of the key Republican lawmakers in Congress supporting aid to Ukraine; he has visited Ukraine multiple times in the past to express support for Ukraine's resistance against the Russian invasion, and shortly before his passing, Graham had just concluded another visit to Ukraine.
U.S. President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the future direction of U.S. military operations against Iran. This meeting comes at a time when new developments have emerged in the situation with Iran, with the U.S. currently pausing military operations in the region, hoping to create opportunities for diplomatic efforts once again. Netanyahu posted on the social platform X on Sunday, stating that they would discuss all important issues during the talks, with the Iranian issue being the primary focus. However, the two leaders have recently publicly diverged on policy toward Iran, particularly regarding whether Iran continues to advance the construction of high-enrichment nuclear facilities. This facility is an underground nuclear site currently under construction, located near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Iran. Whether during the 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran in June 2025 or the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, this facility has not yet been attacked. Despite their differences, both Trump and Netanyahu emphasized that U.S.-Israel relations have not been affected. This meeting was the eighth between President Trump and Netanyahu since he returned to the White House last year, and the first face-to-face meeting between the two since the joint U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran at the end of February this year.
In addition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House earlier on Tuesday. After arriving in the U.S., Zelenskyy posted on the social platform X, stating that strengthening anti-missile defense capabilities and strategic cooperation with the U.S. are Ukraine's top priorities, while also emphasizing the need to further the cause of peace. This was the second meeting between President Trump and Zelenskyy this month; the two previously held talks in Turkey, during which Trump expressed his intention to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot air defense missiles. Trump has currently stopped the direct shipment of U.S. weapons to Ukraine, shifting to a mechanism based on Ukraine's priority needs list, where European countries purchase U.S. weapons and then provide them to Ukraine. The United Nations stated that last month saw the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine since April 2022. Just hours before this meeting, Ukraine launched hundreds of drones into Russian territory, including Moscow. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia launched over a hundred drones at Ukraine from late Monday night to early Tuesday morning.
The 2026 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise is currently being held in Hawaii, with more than 30 countries participating this year. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) also dispatched the destroyer JS Kongō to participate. In this year's RIMPAC, the JMSDF is conducting a wide range of exercises with the U.S. Navy and other partner nations, from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to maritime combat exercises, including anti-submarine warfare, air defense warfare, various combat operations, and other projects. The Kongō is highly focused on maritime combat, including anti-submarine warfare and anti-air strikes, specifically integrated air and missile defense. Beyond tactical-level live-fire exercises and anti-submarine warfare, deep coordination at the operational level among multinational forces is key to enhancing joint combat capabilities. The exchange and coordination among the 30 participating countries make joint combat capabilities more mature, which is also of great value.
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation recently held a Captive Nations Summit in Washington, D.C., focusing on how to address the new generation of communist threats. Former Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen attended and delivered a speech, stating, "As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this month, we must contrast the blessings of freedom we enjoy here with the ugly reality that many others remain trapped in the shackles of brutal regimes and totalitarian ideologies, including my homeland, Cuba." Ros-Lehtinen fled to the U.S. with her family at the age of eight due to the establishment of the Castro regime in Cuba and later became the first Cuban-American member of the U.S. Congress. Ros-Lehtinen emphasized that while free societies won the Cold War, the world today must face various forms of a new generation of communism, from remnants of old regimes like Eritrea in East Africa, to communism in Latin America, to forced labor and oppression under China's new socialism, and finally to that most cruel and evil regime in North Korea.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of State released a 100-page report accusing the Cuban communist government of conducting espionage and subversion against the United States for nearly 70 years. The Communist Party of Cuba has also continuously targeted the United States for decades, attempting to interfere with U.S. policies and advance its own interests. They use social media and intelligence officers in an attempt to recruit individuals to pave the way for them. These regimes possess vast propaganda networks, targeting the American public on one hand, and attempting to manipulate global public opinion to create an anti-American atmosphere and opposition to U.S. policies on the other. As invitees, Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute, and Jamie Fly, CEO of the human rights organization Freedom House, spoke to Voice of America about the State Department's report on the Cuban threat. Communism has destroyed many countries, and Cuba is an extreme example where the government controls economic, social, and political life, ultimately leading to severe corruption and the violation of civil rights; therefore, Americans have historically remained firmly anti-communist.