Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and one of Donald Trump's most trusted political confidants, has died from a sudden illness. Graham was 71. His office announced his death on Sunday, stating only that he had passed away from a brief and sudden illness on Saturday evening.
Trump posted a tribute on Truth Social, calling Graham "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known" and describing him as "a true American Patriot" who "was always working." Funeral arrangements will be announced later, Trump said.
Graham's relationship with Trump was forged in political fire. When Trump emerged as an insurgent presidential candidate in 2016, Graham was scathing, calling him a "jackass," "a race-baiting bigot," and tweeting: "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed." Trump fired back, dismissing Graham as an "idiot" and a "lightweight."
That animosity dissolved once Trump won the presidency. Graham became one of his closest foreign policy advisers and staunchest defenders, backing Trump's controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and standing by him through repeated controversies. After the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Graham briefly broke ranks, declaring "count me out" and saying "enough is enough." But he soon relented, refusing to vote for Trump's conviction in the subsequent impeachment trial and endorsing him again for the 2024 race.
Graham had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003 and was running for re-election this November. He was known primarily for his hawkish foreign policy positions, consistently urging military action against threats from Iran and Russia. He backed the Iraq War and opposed Barack Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran.
His work on Ukraine marked his final public passion. Graham visited the war-torn nation ten times since Russia's full-scale invasion began, most recently last week. After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, Zelenskyy wrote on social media: "I'm grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors."
Following news of Graham's death, Zelenskyy issued a statement saying he was "deeply saddened" and that the world had lost "a determined leader." He noted that they had met twice in just the past week and called Graham "a true defender of freedom." The Ukrainian leader said Graham had been working on initiatives including stronger sanctions against Russia that could help bring peace closer.
Graham grew up in Central, a small South Carolina town where his parents ran a restaurant and pool hall. He was the first in his family to attend college, earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina. He served as an Air Force lawyer and in the Air National Guard before entering electoral politics.
He was elected to the House in 1994 and served as a manager during Bill Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999. His Senate career, which began in 2003, established him as one of Capitol Hill's most vocal foreign policy hawks.
Graham was the last surviving member of the "three amigos," a close trio of senators that also included John McCain and Joe Lieberman, all of whom had run for president. McCain died in 2018, Lieberman in 2024.
According to reporting on police scanner audio, emergency medical services received a call around 8:30 p.m. Saturday for a person experiencing chest pains at Graham's Capitol Hill home. Within about 25 minutes, emergency personnel reported cardiac arrest and CPR was underway.
Author James Rodriguez: "Graham's transformation from Trump critic to closest confidant tells you everything about how politics works in Trump's orbit, and his death deprives the foreign policy hawks of one of their most reliable voices in the Senate."
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