Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who entered the U.S. Senate in 2003 and became one of President Donald Trump’s closest political allies, has died at the age of 71, his office confirmed early Sunday.
Graham passed away on Saturday night after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
In a statement, his office said, “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
President Donald Trump was among the first to pay tribute, describing Graham in a post on Truth Social as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and hailing him as a “true American Patriot.”
Graham was serving as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was campaigning for a fifth six-year term in the Senate ahead of the November elections. Widely recognised as one of the chamber’s most prominent lawmakers, he was also regarded as a leading Republican voice on defence and foreign policy.
According to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News, emergency responders were dispatched to Lindsey Graham’s Capitol Hill residence on Saturday night following a report of a cardiac arrest.
Photographs reviewed by the outlet showed paramedics transporting an individual on a stretcher from the home to a waiting ambulance, while police and fire service vehicles were stationed outside the property.
According to a senior aide to Graham, there were no signs that the senator had been unwell before his death. The staffer told NBC News early Sunday that Graham had also been scheduled to appear on the network’s “Meet the Press” later on Sunday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune described Graham as “a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe.”
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster also honoured the late senator, saying he had been “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America—and a loyal and steadfast friend.”
Under South Carolina’s laws, Governor Henry McMaster is expected to name an interim senator to serve in Lindsey Graham’s seat until January 3 of next year.
Graham overcame several challengers in June, to clinch the Republican nomination for what would have been his fifth Senate term. Following his death, South Carolina Republicans are now required to choose a new nominee, with state election laws providing for a special primary election expected to be held by August 11.
Just days before his death, Graham travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for Graham’s support, saying, “I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors,” adding that their discussions focused on Ukraine’s urgent air defence requirements and plans for fresh sanctions against Russia.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of Ukraine’s Parliament, paid tribute to Graham, describing him as “a steadfast friend of Ukraine, who well understood that our struggle is a fight for freedom, democracy, and a just world order.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also honoured the late senator, saying Graham believed “the security of Israel and America are inseparable.” He added, “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
Graham’s death comes as fellow Republican Senator Mitch McConnell continues to receive treatment in hospital after emergency responders were called to his residence last month following reports of a cardiac arrest.
A spokesperson for Mitch McConnell said the former Republican Senate majority leader is still recovering, but no additional information has been released regarding his health condition.
Raised in the small town of Central, South Carolina, Lindsey Graham grew up in a family that operated a restaurant and pool hall. He became the first member of his family to attend college, later earning a law degree from the University of South Carolina.
After completing his studies, Graham joined the U.S. Air Force as a military lawyer. Over the course of 33 years, he served in the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and the South Carolina Air National Guard, continuing his reserve duties while serving in Congress. He retired in 2015 with the rank of Colonel.
Graham began his political career in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented South Carolina from 1995 to 2003. He was later elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, succeeding the retiring Strom Thurmond.
Graham built a strong reputation for his influence on foreign policy, becoming one of the Senate’s leading voices on international affairs. In recent years, he consistently urged both the Trump and Biden administrations to strengthen support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, while also advocating a tougher U.S. approach toward Iran during Trump’s presidency.
His foreign policy views earned him close allies in the Senate, particularly former lawmakers John McCain and Joe Lieberman. The trio became widely known as “the Three Amigos” because of their shared hawkish positions on global security and defence issues.
According to geopolitical and security analyst Michael A. Horowitz, Graham was regarded as the Republican Party’s last highly effective champion of the belief that American influence should shape global events before rival powers are able to do so, he told NBC News.
In the Trump era, Horowitz added, “his foreign‑policy leverage shifted from shaping broad Senate consensus to shaping Trump’s own instincts, using loyalty and flattery to keep hard‑line positions on Iran, Ukraine, and Syria in the room even as the party’s base turned more inward.”
Graham served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021 before later taking over as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, where he played a leading role in advancing a major tax cut and spending package during Donald Trump’s second term.
Although he later became one of Trump’s closest allies, Graham was initially a vocal critic of the president. After briefly challenging him during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Graham warned, “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.” He eventually declined to back either Trump or Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, opting instead to vote for a third-party presidential candidate.
Over the following decade, Graham’s relationship with Trump underwent a significant transformation. He became one of the president’s strongest supporters, even as he occasionally challenged some of his policy decisions.
In an interview with NBC News in February, Graham described himself as Trump’s “north star.”
“We disagree, but he knows where I am coming from,” Graham said of the president. “He sees me helping him as much as anybody in the Senate.”
