Sen. Ted Cruz Lindsey Graham's Death Has Me Fighting Back Tears
Published
Ted Cruz is taking Lindsey Graham's death hard ... and when TMZ DC caught up with him on Capitol Hill, he looked like he was fighting to keep it together.
Charlie spoke with the Senator from Texas after his close friend's sudden death ... and the normally combative Cruz was noticeably emotional.
Check out the video ... Cruz opens up about the loss in a way you don't often see, reflecting on Graham's legacy and the reality of returning to the Senate without him.
Cruz tells us Graham "was one of a kind" ... and he says everyone in the Senate is shocked and stunned his sudden death.
The Senator also fires back at online critics who've been celebrating Graham's death ... delivering an impassioned defense of his longtime friend.
As TMZ previously reported, Graham died Saturday night at 71 -- with his communications director saying Sunday the preliminary examination indicates he died from a torn aorta.
His death rocked Washington and prompted tributes from both sides of the aisle ... including President Trump, who said they'd spoken just hours before Graham passed.
TMZ DC exclusively obtained photos of Graham being wheeled out on a gurney from his Washington D.C. home on Saturday night as EMS workers tried desperately to save his life.
We also asked Cruz about Jimmy Kimmel's parody of McConnell's proof-of-life photo as the internet spiraled into A.I. conspiracy mode. Cruz wasn't laughing ... accusing Kimmel of punching down and saying the country has gone too far when it comes to mocking elderly politicians.
One friend gone. Another under fire. Cruz wasn't having any of it.
