Ted Cruz reflects on Lindsey Graham’s life and legacy with clear, personal memories and a focus on the fights they shared.

Capitol Hill paused as colleagues from both parties marked the loss of Senator Lindsey Graham, and Senator Ted Cruz spoke at length about their friendship. Cruz used his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast to walk listeners through years of working together and what Graham meant to him personally and politically.

Cruz recorded an episode of his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast to remember Graham. “Today’s podcast was a hard podcast to do, it was a sad podcast,” Cruz said.

“Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly this weekend. As you noted, he was a dear friend of mine. I spent 14 years working side by side with him. At times, I clashed vigorously with him, but we became very close friends.”

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“We worked side by side fighting to confirm conservative judges and Justices. Fighting to defend the Second Amendment. Fighting to defend the men and women of our military,” he continued.

“Fight to stand with our friends and our allies, especially the nation of Israel. And fighting to stand up to our enemies.”

“Lindsey Graham was an incredible friend to President Trump. President Trump loved Lindsey. And he had a sense of humor that was infectious.”

“And, so in this podcast, I just remember Lindsey. I bring inside the stories of who he was, the love that Lindsey had for this country. He left a legacy that was incredible. I miss my friend,” Cruz said.

“I will tell you, every member of the Senate feels that right now. He left a legacy that was profound.”

“I did an interview with a reporter today who said, ‘Who will fill this void? Who will fill Lindsey Graham’s shoes?'” Cruz said. “And my answer is nobody. Nobody. The role he played in the Senate, he was universally respected, but also universally liked and even adored by people who disagreed with him passionately.”

Cruz noted the genuine affection across the aisle. He said, “I don’t know a single Senator out of 99 other Senators who didn’t genuinely like Lindsey and consider him a friend like all of them, and it was a gift,” he added.

Cruz turned to the work that mattered most to both of them, especially national security and Iran. “He didn’t win every argument, but he was there to go again and to go again, and it was really effective,” Cruz said.

“And I’ll tell you where it mattered enormously. There is no area Lindsey and I worked more closely on than Iran, and standing up to the incredible danger to America if the Ayatollah ever gets a nuclear weapon. I think it’s an existential threat to America. I think if the Ayatollah who chants ‘death to America’ gets a nuclear weapon, I think the odds are unacceptably high that hundreds of thousands or even millions of Americans would be murdered, and Lindsey agreed with that.”

Cruz framed Graham as a partner in the fight to stop hostile regimes from gaining nuclear capacity. “Lindsey was an incredible ally that I was fighting alongside. And the President listened to us, which is part of why we’ve seen the President’s incredible, strong leadership taking out Iran’s military capacity and stopping them from getting nuclear weapons. That was one of the most important legacies Lindsey ever had,” Cruz added.

Cruz made clear the personal loss alongside the political one. “He will be missed. He left a legacy that was extraordinary, and I will say whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him, Lindsey loved this country, and he devoted every waking moment of his life to fighting for this country,” he said.

“Lindsey was just 71 years old. He was full of energy and vigor. To be honest, if I were to pick one of my colleagues who was … not going to make it, Lindsey would not have been on that list.”

In closing, Cruz urged perspective and gratitude while underscoring Graham’s impact on policy and people. “It’s a good reminder for all of us that none of us are guaranteed to be here tomorrow. So hug your family, hug your kids, and say thanks to God for the privilege of living at a time of consequence and making a difference in our country. And I will say this: Lindsey Graham made an enormous difference for our country.”