Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 After Brief Illness

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has passed away, his office said Sunday.

"On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness," Graham's office said in a statement on X.

Graham, a prominent Republican and ally of President Donald Trump, was 71.

"Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period," his office added.

A spokeswoman for Graham told MS NOW that he had just returned from a trip to Ukraine. She had no additional information on the circumstances of his passing and said more information would become available in the coming days.

Graham was a a senator for 23 years, having first been elected in 2002. He previously served in the U.S. House, having been elected as part of an influential class of Republicans in 1994. His long tenure gave him seats on powerful committees, most recently chairing the Senate Budget Committee and serving on the Appropriations, Judiciary and Environment and Public Works committees.

He had been running for reelection for a fifth six-year term in a safe Republican seat. Under South Carolina law, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has until Jan. 3, 2027, to fill Graham's seat.

Graham was scheduled to appear on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning. Host Kristen Welker said in a Faceboom post it would have been Graham's 64th appearance on the NBC show and said Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would join instead to reflect on the senator's "life and legacy."

Graham became a close ally of the president's on the Hill, though he initially resisted the Trump's rise.

During the 2016 presidential election, when both men were vying for the Republican nomination, Graham called Trump "unfit for office." Trump, in return, called Graham a "nut job."

"If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it," Graham wrote on social media on May 3, 2016.

But the two repaired their relationship in Trump's first term and became regular golfing buddies.

"I said everything," Graham said in a January 2018 interview on CBS News in January of 2018, of his relationship with Trump. "I said he was a xenophobic, race-baiting religious bigot. I ran out of adjectives. Well, the American people spoke, and they rejected my analysis."

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said Graham was "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known."

"He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!" Trump wrote.

Graham's unexpected death prompted an outpouring of condolences and remembrances.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "deeply saddened" by the news of Graham's death.

"He visited Ukraine ten times during the years of Russia's full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Netanyahu said he and his wife Sara were grieving "with the American people over the loss of our dear friend, Senator Lindsey Graham."

"Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world," Netanyahu said in a post on X.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in a statement: "My heart is heavy this morning to learn of the passing of my friend and colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham."

"He was a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe. He believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause."

McMaster called Graham "the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America—and a loyal and steadfast friend."

And Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina's other senator and a fellow Republican, said he had "lost a friend."

"Lindsey remained committed to public service and doing what he loved," Scott said in an X post. "He always introduced levity and brought wit to the most challenging moments."

Before being elected to Congress, Graham served in the U.S. Air Force, logging six-and-a-half years of active-duty service as an Air Force lawyer.

During the first Gulf War in the early 1990s, Graham was called to active duty and served as a Staff Judge Advocate, where he prepared service members for deployment to the Gulf region.

Graham retired from the Air Force Reserves in June 2015, having served his country in uniform for 33 years. He retired at the rank of Colonel.

A native South Carolinian, Graham grew up in a blue-collar family in the small town of Central, where his parents ran a restaurant and pool hall, according to his website. The first member of his family to go to college, Graham earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.