U.S. President Donald Trump paid tribute on Tuesday to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, describing the influential Republican lawmaker as “a man of conviction” and a true “force of nature” during a funeral ceremony held at the Washington National Cathedral.

“Lindsey passed away at the peak of his career, at the height of his abilities, as a legend,” President Trump said in his eulogy for the South Carolina senator, who died earlier this month at the age of 71 from a heart condition.

The funeral service brought together several prominent political leaders and dignitaries to honor one of the Republican Party’s most influential figures.

“Through the strength of his unwavering convictions, the power of his magnetic personality, and the kindness of his noble soul, Lindsey rose from a small rural town in South Carolina—a place he loved dearly—to become a steadfast pillar of American politics at the highest levels,” Trump added.

Among those attending the ceremony were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both of whom were in Washington at the time.

Numerous political leaders, including officials from South Carolina, also participated in the tributes celebrating Graham’s political legacy and decades of public service.

Lindsey Graham was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 before winning a seat in the Senate in 2002. He was re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020. Last month, he secured the Republican primary in South Carolina against five challengers, positioning himself for a bid for a fifth Senate term.

A former candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Graham earned a reputation as one of the strongest advocates of an interventionist U.S. foreign policy. Throughout his Senate career, he consistently supported the use of American military power abroad, most recently calling for robust military action against Iran.

During his time in the Senate, Graham chaired two key committees: the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Budget Committee.

Funeral ceremonies began Tuesday morning at the U.S. Capitol and are expected to continue over several days before concluding in his home state of South Carolina.