Latest / DEEP INSIGHT / 'Mike Pence remembers Lindsey Graham ahead of his funeral 'True American statesman

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'Mike Pence remembers Lindsey Graham ahead of his funeral 'True American statesman · DEEP INSIGHT

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  Speaker 1: We begin in Washington ceremonies honoring the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
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  Speaker 1: Senator Graham's casket carried out of the US Capitol, where
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  Speaker 1: his funeral service will take place at the Washington National
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  Speaker 1: Cathedral later today. Let's get to CBS News correspondent Nicole Killion.
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  Speaker 1: She's at the Washington National Cathedral with former Vice President
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  Speaker 1: Mike Pence right now. Nicole, thank you so much for
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  Speaker 1: joining us, and our thanks to the former Vice President
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  Speaker 1: for making an appearance on CBS News twenty four to
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  Speaker 1: seven as well.
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  Speaker 2: Good to be with you. Read and as you mentioned,
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  Speaker 2: we are joined here by former Vice President Mike Pence,
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  Speaker 2: who you told me you just flew in for this
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  Speaker 2: service today. What are your thoughts on the late senator's
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  Speaker 2: life and legacy.
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  Speaker 3: Well, thanks for having me on. I have to tell
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  Speaker 3: you my heart is heavy standing here at the National
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  Speaker 3: Cathedral remembering the life and legacy of a true American statesman,
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  Speaker 3: Senator Lindsey Graham. And I will miss him as a friend.
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  Speaker 3: I knew him when I was in the House of
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  Speaker 3: Representatives he was a senator for most of that time,
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  Speaker 3: and then of course worked very closely with him over
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  Speaker 3: the years that I was in the White House, and
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  Speaker 3: what I admired about him was he was deeply committed
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  Speaker 3: to American leadership in the world, supporting our military, to
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  Speaker 3: pro growth economic.
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  Speaker 4: Policies, to the right to life.
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  Speaker 3: But maybe underneath all of it, what made him so
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  Speaker 3: special was he was a happy warrior. And I expect
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  Speaker 3: that I'll be remembered here today at the National Cathedral.
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  Speaker 3: It's impossible to talk about or remember Lindsey Graham without
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  Speaker 3: remembering that sense of humor.
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  Speaker 4: But well, that may be what I missed the most.
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  Speaker 3: His leadership, particularly for America on the world stage, will
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  Speaker 3: be missed. But I am heartened that even tonight the
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  Speaker 3: United States Senate will take up the Lindsey Graham Russia
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  Speaker 3: Sanctions Bill as a testament to him, but also an
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  Speaker 3: ongoing testament to his leadership.
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  Speaker 2: You talked about that time. Were you over lacked both
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  Speaker 2: in Congress and in your role as Vice President working
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  Speaker 2: in the first Trump administration. How did your relationship evolve
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  Speaker 2: with a senator?
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  Speaker 3: Well, I was a fan of Lindsay Graham even before
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  Speaker 3: I got elected to Congress.
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  Speaker 4: I watched from afar as he emerged on the national
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  Speaker 4: stage early on.
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  Speaker 3: If you remember as one of the impeachment managers, but
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  Speaker 3: I saw him then as an incredibly articulate, energetic voice
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  Speaker 3: for conservative principles. And so when I arrived in Congress
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  Speaker 3: in two thousand and one, I was drawn to him immediately.
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  Speaker 3: We became fast friends. I had the privilege of traveling
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  Speaker 3: with him and the late Senator John McCain to visit
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  Speaker 3: troops in Iraq during the Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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  Speaker 4: And it's another.
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  Speaker 3: Part of Lindsey Graham that I trust will be remembered today.
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  Speaker 3: I don't know that men and women in uniform had
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  Speaker 3: a greater champion in Washington, d c. Than Senator Lindsay Graham.
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  Speaker 3: He wore the uniform some thirty years retired out as
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  Speaker 3: a colonel. But beyond that, there was just a devotion
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  Speaker 3: to a strong national defense, to American leadership in the
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  Speaker 3: world that I saw firsthand out with troops down range
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  Speaker 3: with him and his old friend.
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  Speaker 2: You talked about his sense of humor, which I feel
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  Speaker 2: a lot of people have talked about his way. I
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  Speaker 2: think anybody who knew him knew that he always had
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  Speaker 2: a come back line, if you will. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: one story sticks out to you the most.
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  Speaker 3: Oh there was just an evidence of that. I'll never
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  Speaker 3: forget traveling to Iraq. We had to refuel in Ireland,
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  Speaker 3: small airplane G five. We were rolling down the runway
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  Speaker 3: to take off for the rest of our trip, and
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  Speaker 3: all of a sudden, the plane powered down taxi to
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  Speaker 3: the end of the runway and did one hundred and
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  Speaker 3: eighty degree turn and started back. And I remember looking
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  Speaker 3: at Senator McCain and Senator Graham.
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  Speaker 4: We didn't know what had happened.
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  Speaker 3: But as they powered up to take off in the
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  Speaker 3: opposite direction, Lindsey just smiled and said, Iraq is that away?
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  Speaker 3: And we all burst out laughing. There was a spontaneity
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  Speaker 3: about him. Whatever the circumstances, however unpredictable, he always began
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  Speaker 3: with a smile, with humor. But I don't want to
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  Speaker 3: gainsay the fact that, through successive administrations and changing priorities
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  Speaker 3: for the nation, Lindsay Graham was a steadfast, unapologetic advocate
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  Speaker 3: for America as leader of the free world. And I
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  Speaker 3: believe when the Senate moves that bill tonight and hopefully
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  Speaker 3: the House very soon and the President signs it, that
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  Speaker 3: Russia Sanctions Bill will not only be part of Lindsay
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  Speaker 3: Graham's enturing legacy. But I truly do believe that it
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  Speaker 3: could set into motion what I know was his fondest hope,
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  Speaker 3: which was a justin lasting piece for the people of Ukraine.
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  Speaker 2: I was going to say, what impact do you think
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  Speaker 2: this particular legislation, this Russia's sanctions package that he championed,
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  Speaker 2: will have. Obviously now it also includes an extension of
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  Speaker 2: sanctions against Iran.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I think, look, the ability to impose even secondary
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  Speaker 3: sanctions on those that are fueling the Russian war machine
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  Speaker 3: cannot be overstated.
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  Speaker 4: And the fact that Lindzi, on.
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  Speaker 3: His last days on Earth, was in Ukraine secured a
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  Speaker 3: commitment from the Trump administration to support the bill after
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  Speaker 3: several years of negotiations, I think is a testament to
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  Speaker 3: his leadership. But at the end of the day, that
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  Speaker 3: brutal and unprovoked invasion by Russia into Ukraine ran into
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  Speaker 3: a fierce Ukrainian military, US and Western support. But there
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  Speaker 3: was no greater champion of freedom for the people of
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  Speaker 3: Ukraine than Lendsey Graham. And I know that he will
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  Speaker 3: be remembered as fondly there as he is here when
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  Speaker 3: peace and justice finally.
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  Speaker 2: Come Besides this bill, what do you think it will
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  Speaker 2: take to not only end the war between Russia and Ukraine,
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  Speaker 2: but also end this war with Iran.
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  Speaker 4: Well, I think everything begins with American strength.
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  Speaker 3: I commend the President and the new administration for calling
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  Speaker 3: for a dramatic increase in our military spending to meet
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  Speaker 3: the obligation that we have. I'm heartened to see the
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  Speaker 3: progress the administration has made licensing Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
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  Speaker 3: The President met with President Zelenski this morning. But everything
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  Speaker 3: begins with American strength. We stay strong for freedom in
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  Speaker 3: Eastern Europe. We stay strong and on station, even in
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  Speaker 3: the midst of this pause. With regard to Iran, I
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  Speaker 3: think we have the conditions where at least the possibility
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  Speaker 3: of a just and lasting peace that achieves American objectives
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  Speaker 3: and secures a peaceful future.
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  Speaker 4: For the world.
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  Speaker 2: And in terms of Ukraine, you told me one of
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  Speaker 2: your last conversations with the late senator was about Ukraine.
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  Speaker 3: It was we ran into each other in the airport,
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  Speaker 3: and after, you know, he said nice things to my
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  Speaker 3: wife as he always did, and we shared a few laughs.
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  Speaker 3: He immediately put his finger in my chest and we
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  Speaker 3: spoke about that around sanctions that Russia sanctions Bill I
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  Speaker 3: honestly think it could well be the work of his
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  Speaker 3: life if, in the aftermath of his passing, that our
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  Speaker 3: nation's capital and the administration step up put pressure on
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  Speaker 3: Russia and secure a victory for freedom in Eastern Europe
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  Speaker 3: and Ukraine.
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  Speaker 2: Former Vice President Mike Pence, we thank you so much
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  Speaker 2: for taking the time and our condolences to you.
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  Speaker 4: Thank you for being here.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you Bath