Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is attending the funeral of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, D.C. after being invited by Graham’s family. Moe is attending the event alongside representatives of the Government of Canada. In a news release issued Tuesday morning, the province described Graham as a friend of Saskatchewan – pointing to his visits in 2009 and 2015 – the latter of which included tours of SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Power station and its carbon capture and storage facility. “I want to express my sincere condolences to Senator Graham’s family, friends and colleagues on his sudden passing,” Moe said in the news release. “Senator Graham had a deep understanding of Saskatchewan and its importance to North American energy and food security. He was always gracious, thoughtful and generous in his dealings with our province.” Graham died on July 11 at the age of 71. He was elected as a senator from South Carolina in 2002 and re-elected in 2008, 2014 and 2020. Graham had previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1992 to 1994 and 1995 to 2003. Dubbed the “Trump whisperer” by some on Capitol Hill, Graham initially criticized Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries, before becoming a close ally of the eventual president – albeit maintaining an on-again, off-again relationship. In a message of condolence, Prime Minister Mark Carney described Graham as a man who stood “resolutely in defence of democracy and freedom” pointing to his steadfast support of Ukraine. With files from The Associated Press
