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Longtime Senate Republican Lindsey Graham Dies At 71; U.S. And Iran Exchange New Strikes As Tensions Boil Over; Mass Shooting At Toronto Latin Street Festival. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 12, 2026 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[17:00:00]

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Go to CNN/heroes. Thank you so much for joining me this weekend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Omar Jimenez right now.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is "CNN Breaking News."

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the "CNN newsroom," everyone. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York. Tonight, tributes from world leaders to lawmakers over the sudden loss of longtime Senate Republican Lindsey Graham who died at the age of 71. President Donald Trump has ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff this week in Graham's honor. He was a key voice in the Republican Party who also was known for reaching across the aisle at points on Capitol Hill. Overnight, Graham's office announced he had died from a brief and sudden illness. Dispatch audio revealed emergency personnel responded to a call around 8:30 last night for someone who was suffering from chest pains at an address associated with Graham.

Graham was first elected to Congress as a member of the House in 1994, became known for his position as a foreign policy hawk and advocating for U.S. military intervention abroad. He was a leading voice for unwavering U.S. support for Israel and Ukraine, and he had just returned yesterday from his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022. And according to President Trump, the two spoke last night just before his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (voice-over): It's devastating. I thought he was fine. He called me last night. He just got back from Ukraine. He was tired. He said, I'm tired, because it's a long trip. But other than that, he was -- he was fine. And he called me, I guess, just moments before, because he called me like at 6:30 or something. And the -- the medical people got there a little bit later right after that. What a -- what a terrible loss it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I want to bring in CNN chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny who is with me now. And Jeff, look, Senator Graham was -- was -- he was in the Senate for nearly a quarter of a century. He had unique relationships with many in D.C., including the different presidents during his tenure. Can you just tell us about those dynamics and what else we're learning right now?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Omar, there is no one who really spanned the ideological and changes in the Republican Party more than Senator Lindsey Graham. But let's get to that in just a moment. We are getting some very new information here from the senator's office, from the medical examiner's office, shedding a bit more light on what may have happened to the senator last evening.

We know the senator's office said there was a brief and sudden illness. Well, now, we have a new statement from the senator's communications director. Let's read it together. It said the preliminary examination findings were related to a cardiovascular disease. And it goes on to say this: The death certificate will be pending until the -- the pathological and microscopic testing are finalized. And at that point, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death.

So, again, the senator's office is saying the medical examiner is giving a preliminary finding of cardiovascular disease. But that is all we know at this point. But clearly, there will be more of an autopsy, and we'll get more on that certainly in the coming days.

But back to Senator Graham, there is no one really who spanned the -- the changes in the Republican Party like he did. Of course, he was a fierce rival of Donald Trump back in the 2015 campaign. He warned voters to not elect him. But then, he became one of his biggest cheerleaders and would argue he was doing that to have an impact from the inside. But he also, of course, loved the spotlight. That was something that was very clear.

But if you look at just the reaction coming in, it is fairly extraordinary. Let's look at the reaction from President George W. Bush who remembered Senator Graham like this. He said he was a knowledgeable senator who understood how the world works and how important America's international engagement is to resist tyranny. He was a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it. South Carolina was fortunate to have such a committed public servant in its corner.

And again, one more example, really, how Senator Graham was one of the rare senators who really did have friends on both sides of the aisle. This is a statement coming in from a former president, Joe Biden, as well. Of course, they served in the Senate on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled around the world together. President Biden is saying this in a statement. He said, we traveled the world together as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We disagreed often and sometimes loudly. But Lindsey and I did agree on the profound importance of public service. Like me, he loved the Senate as an institution, even with all its flaws and complexities.

[17:04:55] So, again, the -- the news is just a settling in here of this shock and it is going to have a profound impact on the Senate coming up as early as this week. The confirmation hearings are set for the attorney general nominee. Of course, Senator Graham was a very big proponent of Todd Blanche. He's a one of the biggest, staunchest allies of the White House in the Senate as well as the defense spending bill. And he, of course, was the chairman of the budget committee.

So, many questions now about how the Senate is going to go forward with a very fragile majority here. But for now, at least, the day has been spent remembering the life and the legacy of Senator Graham.

JIMENEZ: Yes, the news coming as a shock to many people who woke up this morning to -- to this breaking news, and we're continuing to learn more on that front. But as you point out, a lot of questions to be asked on the politics side that -- that people will figure out as this week begins. Jeff Zeleny, really appreciate the reporting. Thanks for being here.

ZELENY: Sure.

JIMENEZ: I want to bring in former South Carolina governor, Mark Sanford. And governor, you were close with Senator Graham. And so, to start, I'm so sorry for your loss. Can you just tell us about your relationship with him? How did you two first meet? What will you remember most about him?

MARK SANFORD, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: Well, we grew up together in politics. You know, we started together in the class of '94 and the so-called, you know, Gingrich Revolution. And then eight years later, you know, we ran for higher office together, crisscrossed the state that were innumerable fish fries and barbecues. You know, that was -- he was running for Senate. I was running for governor. He ultimately ended up godfather to our youngest son, Blake.

So, I've known him a long time. And he'll be missed. I mean, you know, people started calling me at 3:15 this morning, woke me up. I thought it was a joke. And I said, that's not funny. And then it quickly became real that it was real. And so, I think we're all digesting it here. I know that me and the boys will be doing the same.

JIMENEZ: When -- when was the last time you had a chance to speak with him? Do you remember what that -- what that conversation was about?

SANFORD: Well, I called him two days ago, but he's obviously overseas, so he didn't call me back.

JIMENEZ: Yes.

SANFORD: You know, I think the last time I called him was on, you know, I contemplated a run for the House. And at some point, I talked to him about that, just get his thoughts. You know, he -- he -- he was somebody who had a political nose like nobody else. I mean, he could smell the center. He was a droid at putting together deals. He had an amazing and offsetting sense of humor. But yes, probably a month or so ago, I talked to him. JIMENEZ: You know, I think, as people are remembering the senator, they're remembering all sorts of things. Obviously, look, you work in politics. You don't make all friends, but you don't make all enemies at the same time either. And, you know, for someone like him, having the impact that he had, I wonder just for you as -- as a former governor and someone who has known him for a long time, how would you describe his impact not just on South Carolina but on the country as a whole?

SANFORD: Well, I'd say a twofold. You know, I think a lot of people in politics, just to be there and they won't burn political capital. You know, whether you like Lindsey or didn't like Lindsey, you know, he saw it as vital to be close to power. So, he was tight with McCain for a while, became tight with Trump. But that was simply a tool by which he then had the leverage to try and make a difference. And I admired that.

Again, whether I agreed or disagreed on -- on -- on issues, the fact that he was willing to -- to risk political capital, that's something we need more of. You know, back during the immigration debate, he was out there risking political capital. A lot of people were running for the hills. So, again, whether you agreed or whether you disagreed, the fact that he was willing to risk political capital is something that I think is needed in the political marketplace. I think that will be missed. I think, you know, somebody that would reach out. I mean, Lieberman was, I remember, a close friend of his.

You know, I just have seen the different folks from different walks of life and different political parties, different political perspectives. They respected him for his ability to strike a deal. To say, OK, you're over here on the left and you're over here on the right, how do we come together on this? I think that was a real skill set of his. I think it will be missed in this very much divided world of politics that we see these days.

JIMENEZ: You know, and sort of going into this cycle. I mean, he was up for -- for reelection. He's out on the campaign trail. Folks in South Carolina, you know, considering whether to put him back in office.

And I just wonder, just from the South Carolinian point of view, what was his impact there in his state? What do you think people were either considering and potentially voting him back in? And how do you think maybe those same folks are remembering him now?

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SANFORD: Well, given the way in which my phone, email, and text has been lit up, he had a mighty impact in South Carolina. And a lot of people, you know, respected him, again, for his ability to get something done. And so, I -- and you could look at all kinds of things, whether that's, you know, the Charleston Harbor deepening or whether it's our military infrastructure or whether it's in transportation and issues. You know, he was an able advocate for this state. He was also an able advocate for a strong America. And, you know, South Carolina, on a per capita basis, has an astoundingly high number of veterans per capita, and I think those folks respected the fact that he had their back. And I think he'll, again, be remembered in South Carolina, particularly on that front. The fact that he was hawkish, whether, again, you agreed or disagreed with that perspective, I know a lot of folks in South Carolina agreed. I think he was on his way back into the U.S. Senate. I have no doubts about his reelect.

JIMENEZ: Governor Mark Sanford, really appreciate you taking the time. Again, I'm sorry for your loss. I appreciate you spending some of this time speaking about your -- your friend.

SANFORD: Yes, sir.

JIMENEZ: All right. All right, everybody, still to come for us, we've got news on the U.S. and Iran trading more strikes as tensions boil over. We'll tell you what we know surrounding the latest closure of the Strait of Hormuz as President Trump insists the critical waterway is still open. And a manhunt is underway in Canada after a shooting kills two people and hurts many others at a Latin street festival. We'll bring you those details. You're in the "CNN Newsroom."

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[17:15:00]

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JIMENEZ: We've got some breaking news out of Iran with the United States launching its biggest round of strikes on Iran in weeks. The ceasefire no more, it's seemingly here. The U.S. Central Command sharing this new video, saying it shows the attacks carried out overnight on 140 Iranian targets as Iranian media confirms multiple new attacks across Southern Iran.

I want to bring in CNN international correspondent Nada Bashir who joins us from London. So, Nada, what more are you learning here?

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, following that third round of strikes carried out by the U.S. Military, as confirmed by the U.S. Central Command, some 140 targets struck, according to the U.S. Military.

We are now getting reports of yet more explosions being reported across Iran. That is being reported by Iranian state media at this stage. This includes Iran's Qeshm Island, which is just off the Strait of Hormuz, just near there. It's also reported by state media that there have been explosions reported at the port city of Bandar Abbas. Again, these are areas near the Strait of Hormuz.

There is concern that this could mark a further escalation. We are still waiting for a response of further information from the U.S. Military as to whether the U.S. Military was directly involved in these strikes. This does follow just less than a day now that third round of strikes. That has been confirmed not only by the U.S. Military, but also by the U.S. president. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (voice-over): But I will say we hit them very hard last night. We had to deal with them yesterday. They were giving up everything. And then all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. And I said, these people, there's something wrong with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, of course, the Iranian regime has said that it struck a vessel, a warning strike, that was traveling through the Strait of Hormuz through what they've described as an unauthorized route. There has been some discrepancy in, of course, what the Iranians believe is a permissible route for vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. They want to see those vessels traveling through a corridor just off the coast of Iran as opposed to a corridor off the coast of Oman.

But what we have also seen is some diplomatic effort between the two nations. The Iranian foreign minister met his Omani counterpart in Oman just yesterday, according to officials familiar with those discussions. The focus of those talks was on trying to establish some sort of secure mechanism to allow for vessels to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That, of course, has long been the key stumbling block in mediation efforts between the U.S. and Iran.

But, again, we have been hearing very stark rhetoric both from the Trump administration and from the Iranian regime. Whether these talks in Oman can shift the needle a little bit in towards further negotiations, perhaps. We know that there have been discussions with regional allies despite Iran's retaliatory attacks against Gulf nations. That remains to be seen. Omar?

JIMENEZ: Remains to be seen indeed. Nada Bashir, really appreciate the reporting. I want to keep this conversation going with retired U.S. Army major general, Randy Manner. He served as deputy commanding general of the U.S. Third Army in Kuwait. Thank you for being here. I just want to start with what are your impressions of these latest strikes. How are you analyzing things here?

MAJ. GEN. RANDY MANNER, RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL, U.S. ARMY: I think we are continuing to develop into what I would call a perpetual state of war in the Middle East, somewhat like the Ukrainian-Russian situation. There seems to be no way forward.

[17:20:00]

It is extremely easy for the Iranians to be able to, with literally a $50,000 drone, to be able to intercept any ship that it so desires. And, of course, the United States continues to lower its readiness by the expenditure of various kinds of munitions. We saw also the situation that was a strike in Kuwait against U.S. facility there as well today. So, I think we are headed down. This will become the status quo and the oil prices will stay high.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, to that front, look, U.S. Central Command and President Trump both say the Strait of Hormuz is open. Iran says it's closed. We do know at points that tankers and ships have been targeted. I just wonder, what options does the president have to try and keep this passage open or is this dynamic just what we're going to see for the foreseeable future?

MANNER: I think what we see is the way it's going to be for quite a long time. The dilemma is both sides is disputing propaganda. And as a retired military officer, this disturbs me greatly, that the CENTCOM is saying the strait is open but yet, in contrast, they on their own press release said 140 ships went through last week. That's only 15 percent of the standard traffic that would go through there. That -- it's open as in a couple of ships are getting through, but not regular full open.

And in contrast, the Iranians are saying the strait is closed. Well, clearly the strait is not closed. The truth is somewhere in between. And all of our viewers -- all of your viewers have to understand that is where it is.

It is also something that I really, truly do not see the way forward. The president is going to do tit for tat and, quite frankly, may even do escalation. And as we know, every time that happens, military readiness drops and our military stay deployed overseas for a longer term.

I also don't think that it's wise for the United States to attack Kharg Island or to perhaps even seize it because we will see a tremendous spike in oil prices if we damage that facility. There has to be a way to negotiate the way forward such that there is a give and take by both sides.

JIMENEZ: And General Manner, I just want to read you a statement that we just got in from CENTCOM. I'll bring it up on the screen here. It says, at 5 p.m. Eastern time today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The commander in chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable. That doesn't sound like we're on a path to de-escalation here in terms of the immediate answer.

But I guess, to your point that you were making beforehand, if this is the foreseeable future, sort of these back and forth strikes and we can't seem to either escalate or de-escalate, how long realistically can this go on before there needs to be a breakthrough in one direction or another?

MANNER: I think this is truly a political decision by the president and the Congress. It is unlikely that anything else could possibly influence the president to be able to try to find a way out of this. I truly believe that he's got his back up against the wall.

On one side, he's going from words of going to annihilate and destroy their civilization with unconditional surrender to, oh, crap, we're getting 140 ships through a week, which is only 15 percent, but yet saying, quite frankly, which is a lie, the strait is open, and it's not. It is -- there are some ships going through.

So, again, this cannot go on forever without causing considerable harm to the United States Military and to our readiness and, of course, all of the tens of thousands of military that are deployed there and will continue to be deployed in support of what's going on in the Middle East.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, just looking at this renewed activity, it kind of puts the spotlight back on U.S. weapon stockpiles, for example, after full-scale fighting stops back in April. There was this analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies that found the Pentagon had used at least half of its high-altitude defense missile interceptors, nearly half of its Patriot air defense interceptors, around 30 percent of Tomahawk land attack missiles. Now, CNN confirmed the accuracy of this analysis with people familiar with internal defense department stockpile estimates.

But I bring all that up to say, what is -- what does that mean in terms of if fighting were to escalate with Iran now? Do you see that as having any implications for potential future conflicts?

MANNER: This has a major impact on our ability to defend ourselves not only in the region, but also, heaven forbid, if anything was to happen with the Russians becoming more bold with Ukraine into the rest of Europe. It also is something that does not bode well with the Chinese because, obviously, if we can't defend ourselves in the Middle East adequately where missiles are getting through and destroying U.S. areas, how are we going to do this on a much more substantial conflict?

[17:25:04]

So, not only do we need to increase our weapons production, the reality is it's going to take years to get back to it. So, this has very, very serious implications. The rest of the world continues to build missiles and drones, and the United States is fighting a battle, quite frankly, 20 years ago.

The Ukrainians know how to have multilayered defenses of missiles. They say they're out of Patriots. It's unlikely they're going to get any more from the U.S. Yet at the same time, they will continue to fight the Russians and to intercept the various drones and missiles using other defense, air defense capabilities.

So, this has serious, serious consequences for the United States way beyond the Middle East.

JIMENEZ: All right, Major General Randy Manner, thank you for the analysis and insight on that. Really appreciate -- really appreciate you being here.

All right, everyone, we'll be right back with more on Iran and what comes next for diplomatic efforts with Tehran. Stay tuned. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:00]

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JIMENEZ: Tonight, U.S. Central Command says they are conducting new strikes against Iran. Now, at the heart of this escalation is Iran's attempts to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump, in an interview with CNN earlier today, insisting the strait is open.

I want to bring in Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group and GZERO Media. Now, Ian, look, it's a familiar pattern now. Iran either attacks a ship transiting the strait as Tehran -- as Tehran says, without its consent, the U.S. responds with strikes. How does this de- escalate here? Like how do both countries get off of what has been an ongoing cycle to this point of tit for tat strikes?

IAN BREMMER, PRESIDET OF EURASIA GROUP AND GZERO MEDIA: I'm not sure they do because the Iranians want more leverage over the outcome that they thus far are not getting. They haven't gotten billions of Iranian assets unfrozen by the Qataris or the Emiratis or others. And in the last month, only about 25 percent of the traffic that is going through the Strait of Hormuz is going through the Iranian northern passage. The other 75 percent is either going by Oman or it's going through the middle despite the fact that it hasn't been demined or they're shutting down their transponders. They're basically sailing through dark. So, the Iranians don't have the leverage that they want.

Now, clearly, the Iranians believe, and I think they're correct in this belief, that President Trump truly, truly does not want to return to unconstrained warfare. And so, what you see is the Iranians hitting at some ships and the Americans hitting at some military Iranian targets. You see the Iranians hitting at some Gulf targets and you see some Gulf states like Kuwait and Bahrain with some support from CENTCOM and some support from the Emiratis as well hitting back at Iran.

So, I mean, this is not a ceasefire. It's not peace, it's not a sustainable equilibrium, but it's also not where we were before the ceasefire was announced. This is -- you know, you call it a gray zone because nobody is happy with the outcome, but nobody wants to go back to full warfare.

JIMENEZ: Yes. You know, thinking about President Trump, who was just in Turkey at the NATO leaders' summit recently, you know, obviously -- look, the situation, the Strait of Hormuz, not only having a big impact here in the United States but around the world in terms of fuel prices and beyond. The U.S. and Israel launched the war jointly. That sort of led to this situation to where we are now. Is it just the United States and Israel here? Is there a role for Europe or other NATO countries to offer support in one way or another?

BREMMER: Well, everybody, everybody wants the strait to be reopened. And there's no question that many Europeans will provide support when the fighting stops to help ensure navigation, to help demine. But we aren't there yet. And the Europeans are not going to get directly involved in the fighting in the same way that they weren't directly asked how they felt about the war and President Trump.

I mean, he likes the Turkish president, Erdogan, quite a bit, one of his closest allies among all NATO countries. But while he was there in Ankara, it was a successful summit, there's no question, but you saw and you reported on the fact that President Trump was going after a lot of those European allies for not providing the support that Trump says he doesn't need but, nonetheless, he keeps talking about it.

The Europeans don't want to be a part of it. Europeans are also taking a much greater economic hit from this war than the Americans are. Europeans can't really afford it. Their energy prices are a lot higher than they are in the United States both right now and before the war. They're also a lot closer, of course, to the Middle East. They're a lot more affected by the goods that aren't transiting through. So, it's important for the Europeans to get this war concluded, but that doesn't mean they're going to participate.

JIMENEZ: You know, on the NATO aspect of this, you brought up Turkey and, obviously, President Trump last week, he said he was considering selling those F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. This would reverse that ban he put in place during his first term that was ratified after Turkey purchased a Russian air defense system.

[17:35:00]

I just wonder, what role do you see Turkey playing? Are they a growing -- are they growing as a sort of regional power in terms of influence for this particular conflict or is this just because President Trump seems to have a good relationship with -- with Erdogan?

BREMMER: Well, I mean, as you know, Turkey has a horrible relationship with Israel and the Israeli prime minister tried to convince Trump that these guys are Muslim radicals and they're supported by the Muslim brotherhood and they shouldn't be providing any additional military capabilities. And Trump spiked that, said, I'm not listening to be beyond this at all. It's not up to Trump to sell the F-35s. You need congressional support. I don't think he has that right now for a bunch of reasons. Israeli opposition only being one.

But Turkey is becoming much more important for two reasons. First, if you can no longer sell Dubai as the Switzerland of the Middle East but you want to have, you know, a regional hub, you want to have events, whether it's sporting events or tourism or big confabs and summits in the region, where are you going to go? You could do a lot worse than Istanbul. The Turkish government is very aware of that. There's going to be a lot more economic investment, a lot more transit to and through Turkey than we would have seen before this war started on February 28th.

Secondly, the Saudis are aligning themselves much more closely with an Islamic bloc to provide security. And that means Pakistan, first and foremost, with their nuclear program, with some 13,000 troops that are now on the ground in Saudi Arabia, but it also means Egypt, it also means Turkey. And so, the fact that the Americans are no longer seen as dependable and as predictable as they used to be by these Gulf states, the Saudis are definitely coordinating more closely with a number of the large Islamic countries with big Arab streets and with a lot of military capabilities. Turkey is high on that list. Saudi Arabia has got very deep pockets. I expect that investment is going to step up over time.

JIMENEZ: Ian Bremmer, always a fascinating discussion. Thanks for the analysis. Thanks for being here.

BREMMER: Good to see you.

JIMENEZ: All right, this just in to CNN, Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has just put out a statement on his recent health issues and hospital stay.

He posted this picture and wrote, in part, my doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital while receiving excellent care over the past several weeks. I've also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia. I can assure you that I've been a good patient. At my age, I tend to do what my doctors tell me to do. I've submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident. I'm continuing to do everything they ask to speed my recovery. In fact, with signs of continued progress, I've been able to move from hospital care to a rehabilitation center where I'll keep regaining my strength.

So, we'll continue to follow any updates on that front as well. We've got more news coming up in a second. We'll be right back.

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[17:40:00]

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JIMENEZ: We're following the outpouring of reactions from both Republicans and Democrats after the sudden death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. His office says that preliminary findings from the medical examiner point to complications from cardiovascular disease. We're also going to take a minute to look to the political future, what this loss means for the country, for the Senate and for South Carolina.

To do that, I want to bring in CNN senior political commentator David Urban and CNN political commentator Xochitl Hinojosa to both join us now. David, I just want to start with you. You know, you knew Senator Graham. So, I just want to start out saying I'm sorry for your loss. But I just also wonder, how are you thinking about his legacy, both politically and beyond right now?

DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Yes, Omar, thanks. You know, as I said to Jake Tapper earlier today, you know, friends in the Jewish faith have a saying, may his memory be a blessing. And, you know, Senator Graham was a -- was a complex political figure who can't be -- couldn't be just boiled down into a few sentences or words.

You know, he was a very conservative firebrand who helped, you know, the House managers shepherd through the Clinton impeachment early on. He was one of the three amigos with John McCain and Joe Lieberman. And, you know, very, very bipartisan individual who worked across the aisle to reach consensus in the Senate. He was a Trump critic, originally the Trump friend, Trump whisper. Earlier today, the president said that when he had a really tough situation with Democrats in the Senate, he would call Lindsey Graham, who could then get things solved for the president.

So, you know, a complex guy but, you know, someone who is willing to work across the aisle with his colleagues to accomplish things for South Carolinians and for all Americans. So, it's -- it's a -- it's a loss for America, a loss for the Senate. We should all be a little saddened today by losing somebody like Lindsey Graham at such an early age.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, Xochitl, some Democrats are remembering Graham as some of what David was saying, sort of willing to negotiate and work across the aisle on a number of different issues or sowing some of the Democratic reaction there from folks ranging from Senator Amy Klobuchar to Senator Mark Warner.

[17:45:00]

I mean, he was just working on championing the Russian sanctions bill with Senator Richard Blumenthal as well. From the Democratic side of things, what do you see as the impact to losing his influence in the Senate? Obviously, Democrats and him did not agree on everything. But obviously also, there is this dynamic of where he did seem to be able to work across the aisle in some respects. How are Democrats seeing this?

XOCHITL HINOJOSA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR FOR DNC: That's right. I think Dick Durbin put it best. He said that Lindsey Graham was Republican first, and second, he was someone that was looking to make a bipartisan deal. And you don't see that very often these days.

I think what you brought up is the Russia sanctions. He was just coming from Ukraine. He was someone who was working both sides of the aisle to ensure that the Senate could potentially bring to the floor and vote on a Russian sanctions bill and support for Ukraine.

I think Cory Booker also put it best when he was -- he did a direct- to- camera today, talking about how him and Lindsey Graham didn't really agree on anything. But after his very contentious -- Lindsey Graham's very contentious primary, he then helped Cory Booker pass the first step back. And he said, we did not agree on 80 percent of issues, but he was there when he felt it was important to bring a bipartisan deal.

And so, it's going to be interesting to see who is going to take that role in the Senate. There aren't very many Republicans that are willing to kind of part ways from the president, and Lindsey Graham was willing to do that. He was a loyalist to the president. But at the end of the day, he also loved to deal.

JIMENEZ: And David, you know, you talked about this dynamic before where Senator Graham, famously one of Trump's biggest critics, before turning into one of his closest allies. I want to just play a little bit from that dynamic here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: This threatening to leave, depart if he's not treated fairly, guess who determines whether or not it gets treated fairly? Here's my retort. Quit threatening us.

You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.

Tell me. I did nothing illegal except be Trump's friend, apparently.

And when it comes to President Trump, Mr. President, I'm going to be your strongest ally in the United States Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, obviously, for those that didn't see the date, some of that was in 2015 when they were running against each other in that 2016 election. And then some of that came from later on. But I just wonder, David, how do you view that shift just as a Republican when many at the time were split between supporting President Trump and sort of reporting -- supporting what seems to be sort of the baseline Republican Party at the time?

URBAN: Yes. Well, don't forget, Lindsey Graham was one of those 17 on the stage against Donald Trump initially --

JIMENEZ: Yes.

URBAN: - when he was saying a lot of those nasty things, right? It was -- if you harken back, I was there in 2016, Omar, it was a lot of sharp elbows and nicknames. And I don't think Lindsey Graham survived long enough to get a nickname. So, it was -- it was contentious. It was a contentious primary. And the president knew and a reference to today said, you know, Lindsey Graham was a tough guy and he kind of laughed -- laughed it off.

You know, one of the things that Senator Graham had that was so disarming and why he was liked by so many of his colleagues, he had a great sense of humor, right? Lindsey Graham could make people laugh. He'd crack a joke, whether it was the president or at his own self- expense, you know, self-deprecating. He had a great sense of humor. And he never took himself too seriously. And in a town like Washington, that's a skill that's in short supply.

And so, I think the president knew -- didn't know at the time that he was -- he was -- he was kind of making, you know, kind of a joke. But at the end of the day, the president was on the joke. And he needed Lindsey. He'll be sorely missed in the Trump administration as someone who could go back to the Hill and cut a deal for the president. He's very good at it.

JIMENEZ: And so, just before you go, your thoughts on that dynamic, from sort of Trump enemy in that running for that election, but then the evolution to what became one of his closest allies even if they didn't agree on everything.

HINOJOSA: I think that's right. I think it's hard in politics when you are facing or opposed to somebody on a stage or whether in a primary or whatever that is, is then realizing the role that you play and that the person that you despise so much plays to getting something done.

And that is, I think, what is critical about Lindsey Graham, is he understood that he needed the president in order to get any sort of deal if he wanted to get key issues passed through the Senate, which, mind you, a lot does not happen in the Senate these days. He understood that he needed to be on the side of the president in some instances, right?

[17:49:59]

And I think that in order to pay tribute to Lindsey Graham, I think that there will be a lot of talk over the next few days about whether or not they bring up the Russia sanctions bill. That is something that he championed until his death. And so, that is something that I think that both Democrats and Republicans will probably discuss. But he has a legacy that we should all be looking at even though, I mean, I didn't necessarily and I didn't agree with him most of the time.

JIMENEZ: A lot of people woke up to that news today, processing it today and likely into the week. David Urban, Xochitl Hinojosa, I really appreciate you all --

URBAN: Thanks, Omar.

JIMENEZ: -- helping folks do that today as well. All right, still to come for us, we'll tell you what we're learning about a mass shooting in Canada. We'll bring you those details. You're in the "CNN Newsroom."

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[17:55:00]

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JIMENEZ: Multiple suspects are still at large after a deadly shooting at a large Latin street festival in Toronto. Police say at least two people were killed, four others are hospitalized with serious injuries. Toronto's mayor is calling the shooting a reckless and despicable act of violence.

I want to bring in CNN's Gloria Pazmino who has been following this. What more are you learning here? GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar, this took place at a summertime celebration like so many around the country at this time of the year, disrupted by gunfire. This was a celebration of Latin culture taking place in Toronto, a very large festival with at least 13,000 people in attendance.

And police say that two men appear to have been shooting at each other when gunfire rang out. At least six people in total were shot, including the two men who were killed. Four others were seriously injured. And the police have been able to establish three separate crime scenes. They have recovered two firearms. But, as you said, they continue to search for the suspects. They believe multiple individuals may have been involved in the shooting.

And as a result of this ongoing investigation, festival organizers decided to cancel the events that were supposed to take place today, on Sunday, while the police continue to investigate. And sadly, this festival celebration just having to be canceled completely. Omar?

JIMENEZ: All right, Gloria Pazmino, really appreciate it. Still ahead for us, flags at half-staff tonight on Capitol Hill as Washington mourns Senator Lindsey Graham. We'll tell you what we know about his sudden death, next.

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