US Senator Lindsey Graham Dies Suddenly at 71

Lindsey Graham, a longtime US senator and key ally of Donald Trump, has died from a sudden illness, his office said on Sunday. He had just turned 71.

Graham’s abrupt death will send shock waves through Washington and the Republican party. He had served in the Senate since 2003, representing South Carolina, and was running for re-election in November.

“On the evening of Saturday 11 July, US senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”

It gave no further details. Citing police scanner audio, the Washington Post newspaper reported that emergency medical services had received a call at about 8.30pm on Saturday regarding a person suffering chest pains at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill. About 25 minutes later, according to the Post, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and a man was suffering cardiac arrest.

There had been no known concerns over the health of Graham, whose birthday was last Thursday and who visited Ukraine last week. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on social media on Friday: “I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors.” Graham was scheduled to appear as a guest on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.

His death is a personal blow to Trump, for whom he was a political cheerleader and frequent golf partner. The president posted on his Truth Social platform: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and he was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

Graham grew up in Central, a small town in South Carolina, where his parents ran a restaurant and pool hall. He was the first member of his family to go to college, earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.

He served as an air force lawyer then joined the South Carolina Air National Guard. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and was a manager during Bill Clinton’s 1999 impeachment trial.

Elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham carved out a reputation as one of Capitol Hill’s most outspoken foreign policy hawks. He supported the Iraq war and had long urged military action in Iran. He opposed the nuclear agreement negotiated by Barack Obama and had been one of Trump’s staunchest defenders in the current conflict.

He briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and was initially a sharp critic of Trump, then the insurgent frontrunner. He condemned Trump as a “jackass”, “a race-baiting bigot” and “the most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican party”, memorably warning on Twitter: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.” Trump, in turn, dismissed Graham as an “idiot” and a “lightweight”.

But the relationship was transformed after Trump entered the White House and Graham became one of the president’s closest confidants. He emerged as a key adviser on foreign policy, particularly Iran and Russia. He also rallied the defence of Trump’s embattled nominee for the supreme court, Brett Kavanaugh, in 2018.

Graham wobbled only after Trump’s supporters staged an insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in an effort to overturn his election defeat. The senator declared: “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey – I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president but today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”

His rebellion did not last, however, and he refused to vote to convict Trump at the subsequent impeachment trial. He was again quick to endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Graham’s death marks the passing of the last of the “three amigos”, comprising Graham, Joe Lieberman and John McCain, senators and close friends who each made unsuccessful bids for the presidency. McCain died in 2018, Lieberman in 2024.

Among those paying tribute on Sunday was Henry McMaster, the Republican governor of South Carolina, who said in a statement: “Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend.”

According to state law, McMaster may appoint a replacement to fill Graham’s seat.

The Senate majority leader, John Thune, hailed Graham’s international engagement and his tenure in Congress. “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,” Thune said on X.

He added: “His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations.”

Graham, an ally of the Christian right, was a staunch supporter of Israel, where several high-profile politicians expressed condolences. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X: “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, said the news had left him “shocked and heartbroken”. “Senator Graham was a beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the US-Israel partnership,” he said in a post on X. “We will never forget how he stood by the people of Israel in our most difficult moments, and we will remain eternally grateful for his sense of justice, truth, and loyalty.”

An Israeli source told the Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu was considering flying to the US for Graham’s funeral and that if he did, it was likely he would meet Trump.

The statement issued by Graham’s office, which gave no indication of the cause of death, comes amid growing scrutiny over the lack of transparency surrounding the health of Congress members.

The New Jersey Republican congressman Tom Kean disappeared from public view for months earlier this year before returning to Washington and revealing he had been diagnosed with depression. More recently, the Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell was admitted to hospital for undisclosed health reasons.