Trump Urges Senate to Pass Clarity Act in Honor of Late Ally Graham

Trump presses the Senate to pass crypto rules, warning that China seeks to dominate both digital finance and artificial intelligence.

First Published: July 13, 2026, 6:39 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump urged the U.S. Senate to pass the Clarity Act, a crypto market-structure bill, framing the vote as a tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally who died at 71.

Trump tied the legislation to a broader contest with China, warning that Beijing wants to seize control of digital finance and artificial intelligence, two fields he said the United States now leads. He cast the bill as a defense against a foreign takeover of a fast-growing financial sector.

“Don’t let China win on either subject!!!” Trump wrote, invoking Graham as “a big supporter” of the effort.

The appeal arrives days after Graham’s death, which prompted flags across the country to be lowered to half-staff on Trump’s order (see newsweek.com). Governors followed the directive, with Maine ordering state and federal flags lowered until the evening of July 18, 2026 (see maine.gov).

Here is the full post on Truth Social: “In honor of Senator Lindsey Graham, a big supporter, the U.S. Senate should pass the Clarity Act. China, and many other countries, would like to take complete and total control of this major financial “happening,” as well as A.I., where we are now leading, but where they are fighting hard. Don’t let China win on either subject!!! Trump” on July 13, 2026 at 10:26 AM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces about 30 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The stakes run deep for the digital-asset industry, which has pushed for federal rules that spell out when a token is a security and when it is a commodity. A market-structure law would benefit exchanges and issuers seeking regulatory certainty, while critics warn looser oversight could expose retail investors to fraud. Passage would hand the crypto sector its clearest legal footing to date.

Graham, a prominent South Carolina Republican and one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress, advocated for a more aggressive U.S. foreign policy during his tenure. He was seeking a fifth term in November when he died from what his office called a brief and sudden illness (see newsweek.com). A preliminary finding pointed to aortic dissection.

For the average American, the outcome shapes how digital money is bought, sold and taxed. Clearer rules could bring crypto services into mainstream banking apps, while the AI dimension touches jobs, data privacy and the cost of the technology that increasingly runs everyday devices.

Has this happened before? Yes. Presidents have long linked economic legislation to national-security rivalry with foreign powers, and Trump has repeatedly framed technology races as zero-sum contests with China. His messaging on trade, semiconductors and 5G followed the same pattern of casting Beijing as a threat to American primacy.

The next move belongs to Senate leadership, which must schedule a floor vote on the Clarity Act. A date for that vote has not been announced.

Invoking a fallen colleague to advance legislation is not the first time Washington has wrapped a bill in a tribute. When Senator John McCain of Arizona died in 2018, lawmakers named the annual defense authorization act in his honor, and Congress passed it with 87 Senate votes that August (see johnmccain.com). The gesture cemented McCain’s legacy on military policy and gave the measure bipartisan momentum through a divided chamber.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 83 of his 520 posts over the last 30 days focused on Foreign Policy.