Lindsey Graham, Longtime South Carolina Senator, Dead at 71

Senator Lindsey Graham, the longtime conservative lawmaker from South Carolina, has died, his office announced early Sunday morning. He was 71 years old. Graham was one of the most influential lawmakers of his generation, befriending both the late Senator John McCain and President Trump. His lasting legacy is likely to be in the foreign policy space, having been one of the chief advocates for the Global War on Terror, for the American and Israeli war with Iran, and for his support for Ukraine amidst its war with Russia.In a brief statement early Sunday morning, Graham’s office said he passed suddenly on Saturday evening. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness. Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” his office said. President Trump issued a statement calling the news “So sad” and saying “Lindsey will be greatly missed.”“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot,” the president said. He also spoke on several morning news shows to say he had just spoken with Graham the night before, speculating that their conversation may have been Graham’s last phone call.President Biden, Graham’s former colleague in the Senate, also issued condolences. “We traveled the world together as members of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. We disagreed often, and sometimes loudly. Lindsey and I did agree on the profound importance of public service. Like me, he loved the Senate as an institution, even with all its flaws and complexities,” he said. Graham had been serving in office representing South Carolina since 1994, first as a congressman and beginning in 2002 as a senator after the incumbent, Strom Thurmond, announced his retirement. He faced easy re-election to a fifth term this year. Prior to joining Congress, Graham served as a Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Air Force, spending six and a half years on active duty, including four as the Air Force’s chief prosecutor at Rhein-Main Air Base at Frankfurt, Germany. He served another 20 years as a Reserve officer, retiring in 2015. Graham received his law degree and bachelor’s degree from University of South Carolina.According to a report from NBC News, emergency personnel were dispatched to Graham’s Capitol Hill home to care for someone who had gone into cardiac arrest. Shortly after, a person was seen being carried out of the home on a stretcher to an ambulance outside. Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a video posted by Mr. Zelensky on X, Graham appeared to be in fine health as the senator and other officials met with Ukraine’s president. “Thank you for coming, Lindsey,” Mr. Zelensky said with a smile. On Sunday, Mr. Zelensky said he had met with Graham twice in the past week, and the late senator had visited Ukraine 10 times “during the years of Russia’s full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed.” “America and the world have lost a determined leader,” he wrote.At the time of his passing, Graham and a Democratic counterpart, Senator Richard Blumenthal, had been working on a piece of legislation to give Mr. Trump additional powers to sanction Russian officials and assets. Graham told reporters in Ukraine over the weekend that senators had “reached an agreement with the White House on a version of the Russian sanctions bill.” Graham was a fierce defender of the U.S.-Israeli relationship as well and a chief proponent of taking down the Islamic Regime in Iran. Just days ago, he shared an image from the funeral of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, where signs were displayed depicting images of Graham and other defenders of Israel with the message, “In the end, your heads will be severed.” “At least they used a good photo of me,” he wrote. “Judge me by my enemies.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Graham understood the “inseparable” nature of Israeli and American security. “He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”Graham had been expected to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning. He is the second Republican senator believed to have suffered cardiac arrest in the past month. Senator Mitch McConnell, who is retiring this year after 41 years in the Senate, is recovering in a Washington, D.C., hospital from an undisclosed health issue. Punchbowl News first reported that paramedics were called to a “known address” of Mr. McConnell’s on June 14, where CPR was performed on a person experiencing a cardiac arrest.Condolences from Graham’s colleagues poured in on Sunday morning. “Sudden and awful news about Senator Lindsey Graham,” said Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. “The United States Senate lost a foreign policy giant. On a personal level, he had always been kind, gracious, and thoughtful.”“Christy and I were just with him two weeks ago at an America 250 celebration and I am still in disbelief he is gone,” Congressman Marlin Stutzman, a Republican from Indiana, said referencing his wife. “His service to our country through the military, the House of Representatives, and the Senate will not be forgotten.”With his death, South Carolina’s governor will now have the opportunity to temporarily fill Graham’s seat. According to state law, a new Republican will run in the November election, with the governor’s appointee leaving office on January 3, 2027, if the appointee does not seek a full term in office this fall.

Lindsey Graham, Longtime South Carolina Senator, Dead at 71

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