Washington DC - President Donald Trump hailed Lindsey Graham as a "true American original" Tuesday as world leaders and Washington's political elite gathered for the funeral of the hardline Republican senator who helped shape US policy on Ukraine and the Middle East.

Trump told a packed congregation at Washington National Cathedral that Graham was a "beloved friend," respected statesman and Senate giant who had risen from a small South Carolina town to become "a force to be reckoned with all over the world."

"For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it," Trump said.

"Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it."

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Graham's flag-draped casket was carried into the cathedral by military pallbearers and placed near Trump, who sat in the front row alongside Vice President JD Vance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended after holding separate White House meetings with Trump, reflecting Graham's role as one of Washington's most vocal champions of both countries.

The funeral also brought together lawmakers from both parties, most of Trump's cabinet, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and members of the family of Graham's longtime friend, the late Republican senator John McCain.

The president also noted the senator's reputation as one of Congress's most hawkish voices, joking that Graham "never saw a war that he didn’t like."

Trump called Graham, who frequently joined the president on golf outings, "a friend none of us will ever forget."