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Remarks from Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent at Joint Base Lindsey Graham Renaming Ceremony
U.S. Department of the Treasury
August 10, 2026
As prepared for delivery.
Secretary Hegseth and Senator Darline Graham. Colonel Shirley. Governor McMaster and the great men and women of our military. It is an honor to join you all in my home state as we pay tribute to one of its most devoted sons.
The names we attach to our military installations reveal something of ourselves. They signal the type of service we honor. The kind of character we esteem. And perhaps above all, the sort of example we ask future generations to follow.
Today, this base takes the name of a patriot who embodied each of those ideals in equal measure.
Of course, Lindsey Graham believed that the first obligation of the federal government is to keep its people safe.
He carried that conviction for more than three decades in uniform and in Washington.
And to place his name upon a base dedicated to our defense is to join Lindsey's memory to the cause that animated his life.
But beneath the force of Lindsey's convictions was a man of uncommon warmth and generosity of spirit.
However far duty carried him, Lindsey never outgrew the people or the places that first claimed him as our own.
His was a distinctly American ascent from Central, South Carolina to the pinnacle of the United States Senate.
Along the way, the arc of Lindsey's life stirred the pride of every South Carolinian. It reminded us that in America, the circumstances of one's upbringing are never binding. And that the highest places remain well within reach of those born far from power and privilege.
Few men have traveled greater distances without ever leaving home behind.
And across both of his callings in life, be it in the Air Force or in Congress, on a base in Afghanistan or on the floor of the Senate, he devoted himself to the same great purpose of serving a cause greater than self.
Joint Base Graham is the backbone of our Air Force's C-17 fleet, the workhorse of our air defense.
Before joining the administration, I would sit on my side porch here in Charleston watching squadrons of C-17s returning from their missions across the globe. Nobody does it like our amazing South Carolina pilots and crews.
From today forward, these planes will have Joint Base Graham on their tails. A reminder that Senator Graham was America's workhorse.
That is why Lindsey Graham's legacy belongs here. And it's why this base will bear that name with pride.
So may God continue to surround the Graham family as they draw strength from a grateful state.
May He bless our troops who sacrifice every day to defend our way of life.
And may Lindsey Olin Graham's memory continue to be the blessing his life was as it stands watch over every mission launched from the Lowcountry to the farthest-reaching corners of the globe in defense of freedom.
Thank you.
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Aug. 10, 2026
Speech
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Remarks at Joint Base Lindsey Graham Naming Ceremony (As Delivered)
SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Well, Senator, Governor, Mr. Secretary, thank you for hitching a ride with us this morning to sunny South Carolina. All patriots I've had a chance to work with, our great Treasury Secretary, and he is a patriot of the highest order and loves our military, so it's an honor to have you here today.
Senator Lindsey Graham dedicated his life to serving this state and serving the Armed forces of the United States. He served this nation both in uniform and in both houses of Congress, as everyone here knows.
But in both capacities, it was always the same mission. He knew the timeless truth that to ensure peace, we must be prepared for war. Protect your people, protect your state, protect your sovereignty, or you will lose it to someone else who is willing to take it from you.
Lindsey spent his final years taking on a radical leftist ideology that had run rampant in the media, in academia, and even among a few members of Congress. The hard left declared war on our own military.
This nation spent 45 years fighting communism in the Cold War, and that was 30 years ago. Now it seems that many people have forgotten the reality of what communism looks like. It starts off with promises and it ends in prisons. It promises heaven but delivers hell. Senator Graham stood up against that radical woke ideology that killed our military recruiting. Under the previous administration, they couldn't even hit recruiting goals. Young patriots didn't want to serve under these woke so-called "leaders." But instead of raising standards, they lowered goals.
President Trump promised the American people, alongside Senator Graham, that he would rebuild the military. He promised he would make our forces stronger than ever, and that he would run those radicals out of the Pentagon, and that's exactly what he and we have done. In this new golden age of America, President Trump has had no stronger ally in Congress than Colonel Lindsey Graham.
It falls to us to complete the work that Lindsey Graham began and advocated for, for decades. As we gather here today, the War Department is seeking a historic generational investment of $1.5 trillion for American warriors. And Lindsey himself said, to me in his office, "this is the best military budget I've seen since I've been in Congress" - end quote.
This department pays tribute to Lindsey Graham in the naming of this base, but there could be no greater tribute than Congress could give than to invest in our warriors for the full $1.5 trillion. More on that in a moment.
Fully funding our warriors would be one last great accomplishment for Colonel Lindsey Graham and a major part of his legacy. And I believe that he will continue here and around the world to inspire airmen for generations to come. And I say around the world, because, as was mentioned, those gray tails that say Charleston, now, when they land in far flung places, will say, Graham. The world will remember that name.
South Carolinians grow up with stories of legendary warriors from this state, warriors like the swamp fox, Francis Marion, who helped win our freedom at Yorktown; like Lieutenant Irwin David Shaw, a pilot who gave his life in World War I; or General Bernie McIntyre, who spent his final moments saving innocent lives; or how about just a few weeks ago, President Trump gave the Medal of Honor to a marine who fought the communists in the jungles of Vietnam, James Capers, Jr. of Lee County, South Carolina. Now, South Carolinians will grow up learning about the namesake of this incredible joint base, Senator Lindsey Graham.
I'm proud to say that I actually knew him for more than 20 years. I was telling his sister that. Nineteen years ago, young lieutenant, uh, First Lieutenant Pete Hegseth came back from Iraq and was a part of a veterans' organization called Vets for Freedom that believed in the surge in Iraq and advocating for the troops on the ground. We were a young, scrappy veterans' organization with no money and no access and connections.
The first and only senator willing to meet with First Lieutenant Pete Hegseth and nowheresville Vets for Freedom, was Senator Lindsey Graham. He welcomed us into his conference room, sat us down as a bunch of lieutenants and NCOs and others around the table, fresh back from Iraq, who wanted the right strategy. I'll never forget it in his accent, he sat there and he said, gentlemen -- I can't do it. It always devolves into a Trump accent. He said, gentlemen, welcome to a place where you can still say the word victory. He believed in mission success. He believed in the troops. He believed in giving the troops everything they needed.
And he served himself. In fact, a few years later, Captain Hegseth was an instructor in a base on the outskirts of Kabul in Afghanistan and who came to visit, Colonel Lindsey Graham. I had mentioned that we were out there at the counterinsurgency school, and we could give him an update on what the Taliban was up to. Sure enough, during his reserve duty, there he was, jet-lagged as all -- as all hell, because man had a schedule like nobody else. But he was there to hear from us because he wanted his ear to the ground for the truth of what was actually happening in the war in Afghanistan.
Fast forward, I mentioned the military budget of $1.5 trillion. The last meeting I had with Senator Graham was about a week before his passing, uh, or so, maybe two weeks before his passing. And he said, uh, he's the budget committee chairman, so, Mr. Secretary, what do you need for a reconciliation? I said, well, in total, sir, we're going to need $350 billion for our military. That's what we believe gets us to 1.5 trillion - $115 billion in the base budget, $350 billion in reconciliation and we'll be ready.
He looked at me and said, how's $355 billion sound? He wanted to give even more than $350 billion. He wanted to ensure our military was as equipped as humanly possible, because he was thinking of places like this one right here. I saw firsthand as a young first lieutenant, as a captain in a combat zone, and as a secretary, the unwavering commitment of Lindsey Graham.
And he knew that if you're going to seek peace, you have to be prepared for war. You have to have a prepared military. If you walk -- talk the talk and walk the walk. And now, 20 years later, thanks to his help in the Senate, this administration is breaking recruiting records for beating our goals. We're taking back the department from the wokesters, and we're making sure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.
Every president for a quarter century declared that they would not let Iran get a nuclear weapon, but they never did anything about it, until President Donald J. Trump. And Lindsey Graham was right there for him in the Senate.
And so now it falls to us to continue Senator Graham's work of building up our military, the hard work of defending this nation. And I know with full confidence, that is exactly what we will do.
Well done, Colonel Graham. We have the watch from here. So my fellow Americans, it is my honor to say welcome to Joint Base Lindsey Graham. May God bless you.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4567848/
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Aug. 10, 2026
By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News
Hegseth Renames Joint Base Charleston to Honor Late Sen. Lindsey Graham
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, became Joint Base Lindsey Graham during a ceremony today to rename the installation after the late senator, Air Force veteran and South Carolina native son.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joined South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina to dedicate the 32-square-mile installation, home to the 437th Airlift Wing, which provides global airlift capability to the joint force with the C-17A Globemaster III aircraft.
Lindsey Graham served as a U.S. senator from South Carolina from January 2003 until his passing July 11. He also served as a lawyer and commissioned officer in the Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps, first on active duty from 1982 until 1988, then as a member of the South Carolina Air National Guard until 1995 and finally, in the Air Force Reserve until 2015.
"Sen. Lindsey Graham dedicated his life to serving this state and serving the armed forces of the United States," Hegseth said. "He served this nation both in uniform and in both houses of Congress. ... But in both capacities, it was always the same mission. He knew the timeless truth that to ensure peace, we must be prepared for war. Protect your people, protect your state, protect your sovereignty, or you will lose it to someone else who is willing to take it from you."
Hegseth said he first met Graham as a young first lieutenant in the Army. Hegseth had returned from Iraq and had aligned himself with a veterans group called "Vets for Freedom."
"[We] believed in the surge in Iraq and advocating for the troops on the ground," he said. "We were a young, scrappy veterans' organization with no money and no access and connections."
Only one senator, Graham, was willing to meet with Hegseth and other representatives of the group.
"He welcomed us into his conference room, sat us down as a bunch of lieutenants and [noncommissioned officers] and others around the table - fresh back from Iraq - who wanted the right strategy," Hegseth said. "He said, 'Gentlemen, welcome to a place where you can still say the word victory.' He believed in mission success; he believed in the troops; he believed in giving the troops everything they needed."
In later years, Hegseth said he recalled mentioning to Graham that he was now serving as an instructor at a counterinsurgency school in Kabul, Afghanistan.
"I had mentioned that we ... could give him an update on what the Taliban was up to," he said. "Sure enough, during his reserve duty, there he was - jet-lagged as all hell - because that man had a schedule like nobody else. But he was there to hear from us because he wanted his ear to the ground from the troops on what was actually happening in the war in Afghanistan."
Just weeks before the senator's passing, Hegseth said he met with Graham to discuss the War Department budget - the current request, $1.5 trillion, is the largest in U.S. history. The senator showed his commitment to troops there, too.
"[He asked], 'Mr. Secretary, what do you need for reconciliation?'" Hegseth said.
Hegseth said he discussed with Graham that he thought the department needed $1.15 trillion in the base budget and $350 billion in reconciliation to get to the needed $1.5 trillion total budget.
"He looked at me and said, 'How's $355 billion sound to you?'" Hegseth said. "He wanted to give even more than $350 [billion]. He wanted to ensure our military was as equipped as humanly possible, because he was thinking of places like this one right here."
Graham, Hegseth said, knew what was needed to keep America safe.
"I saw firsthand as a young first lieutenant, as a captain in a combat zone and as a secretary, the unwavering commitment of Lindsey Graham," Hegseth said. "He knew that if you're going to seek peace, you have to be prepared for war. You have to have a prepared military. He talked the talk, and he walked the walk."
Darline Graham took on his role as senator following her brother's passing. She said he was proud of his service in the Air Force.
"What an honor for my brother, and what a tribute to his 33 years of service," Graham said. "Lindsey loved the Air Force. He loved its mission. He loved wearing the uniform of his country. His interest in foreign affairs and national security started with his service in the Air Force."
Lindsey Graham initially served in state government as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Later, from 1995 to 2003, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing South Carolina's 2nd District. And finally, he served as a U.S. senator from South Carolina, beginning in 2003.
"It was sometimes hard to tell if Lindsey was a senator who happened to serve in the Air Force or an Air Force lawyer who happened to serve in the Senate," his sister said. "Such was his love for both. That's the man this base is named after - a man who loved his country, loved his state and loved the United States Air Force. I could not be more honored or humbled for him to be recognized in such a fashion for his lifetime of service."
Following the renaming of the installation, Hegseth met with airmen assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing as well as other troops on the installation who had been involved with Operation Epic Fury, the mission to destroy Iranian offensive missiles and missile production, as well as the Iranian navy and other security infrastructure.
While meeting with airmen, the secretary discussed the importance of logistics. He commended them on their improvements to logistics capabilities and how their unit is contributing to the modernization of the U.S. military.
"Look at what the 437th is doing as the premier maneuver force for the C-17A modernization: leading operational testing for things like palletized munitions, drastically increasing our airborne munitions capacity in future conflicts," he said. "I've been watching. I read the reports of how you iterate, do things faster in congested logistics. It's incredible, the backbone of what you have enabled in the theater."
Logistics, Hegseth said, is how wars are won, adding that it's airmen at Joint Base Lindsey Graham who are making that happen.
"The secret sauce of any successful mission - whether it's Epic Fury, Southern Spear, Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve, Hawkeye Strike, you name it - are the logistics behind it," he said. "That's the genius of the United States military."
The secretary said it's the strategic lift, the U.S. Transportation Command, logistics, how the U.S. moves things, people, munitions and capabilities that make a difference.
"No one else can touch it, not even close," Hegseth said, adding that, "All of it is enabled by all of you, incredible Americans at the top of your game, at the prime of your life. ... I consider all of you the real 1%, the real elite who give absolutely everything."
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Hegseth pushes for Pentagon funding during renaming of military base after Lindsey Graham
By Haley Britzky
(CNN) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed Congress to approve a sharp increase in the Pentagon’s budget during a ceremony on Monday to rename a base for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Graham, a veteran who was long known for his advocacy for expanding the military, died suddenly last month following an aortic dissection. The South Carolina military installation, previously known as Joint Base Charleston, will now be known as Joint Base Lindsey Graham.
“As we gather here today, the War Department is seeking a historic generational investment of $1.5 trillion for American warriors. And Lindsey himself said to me in his office, ‘This is the best military budget I’ve seen since I’ve been in Congress.’ End quote,” Hegseth said. “This department pays tribute to Lindsey Graham in the naming of this base, but there could be no greater tribute than Congress could give than to invest in our warriors for the full $1.5 trillion.”
Hegseth has recently spent time on Capitol Hill urging Republicans to support the Pentagon’s massive budget request, which would be a sharp increase from the roughly $800 million approved for last year. The agency also got an additional $150 billion in separate legislation President Donald Trump termed the One Big Beautiful Bill. CNN has reported that Republicans have been skeptical of the request amid the monthslong war with Iran.
Graham, a longtime Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, died last month from a tear in the inner layer of his aorta, his spokesperson said.
Graham joined the Air Force Reserves in 1995 and served more than 30 years, including time on active duty as a military lawyer while deployed overseas. He retired as a colonel in 2015.
Joint Base Charleston is home to the 628th Air Base Wing and supports more than 90,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians and retirees, its website says.
Hegseth also used the Monday speech to criticize “woke, so-called leaders” of the military under previous administrations and praised Graham for spending his “final years taking on a radical leftist ideology that had run rampant in the media, in academia, and even among a few members of Congress.”
The-CNN-Wire
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