Washington, United States. US Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and former presidential candidate, has died at the age of 71 after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
His office announced the death on social media early Sunday. NBC News reported that emergency personnel responded to a cardiac arrest call at Graham’s Capitol Hill home on Saturday night.
Political career
Graham was a vocal critic of Donald Trump before becoming one of the president’s closest allies on Capitol Hill after Trump entered office.
In October 2016, after Trump declined to commit to accepting the election result if defeated, Graham said that a loss would not be due to a “rigged” system but because Trump had failed as a candidate.
Trump later described Graham as “one of the greatest people and senators I have known” and a hard-working patriot.
Foreign policy positions
A defence hawk, Graham consistently advocated policies that he said would protect long-term US national security interests in the War on Terror, according to his website.
He was a prominent supporter of Israel and Ukraine and an opponent of Iran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he was deeply saddened by Graham’s death, describing him as someone who stood with Israel during its most difficult moments.
Ukraine advocacy
Graham publicly disagreed with Trump’s early 2025 decision to pardon about 1,500 supporters convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, saying the move could lead to further violence.
On Friday, Graham said China could play a decisive role in pressuring Russia into peace talks to help end the war in Ukraine. A frequent visitor to Ukraine, he met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv to discuss air defence needs and a Russian sanctions bill, Zelenskiy said.
Graham said strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities and aligning sanctions with diplomatic efforts could force Moscow into negotiations.
