Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent foreign policy hawk and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress, has died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
Graham’s office announced his death early Sunday, saying the South Carolina senator had died unexpectedly. US media reported that emergency responders were called to his Capitol Hill residence on Saturday night following reports of a cardiac arrest.
The senator had recently returned from a visit to Ukraine and had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” programme on Sunday.
Trump paid tribute to Graham, describing him as one of the greatest senators he had known and praising him as a hard-working patriot.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was deeply saddened by Graham’s death, calling him a defender of freedom and democratic values.
“Lindsey Graham was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer,” Zelenskiy said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also mourned Graham, describing him as one of Israel’s strongest supporters.
“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Netanyahu said.
From Trump critic to loyal ally
Graham’s political relationship with Trump underwent a dramatic transformation over the past decade.
During the 2016 Republican presidential campaign, Graham was one of Trump’s fiercest critics. He warned that the Republican Party would face defeat if it selected Trump as its nominee and accused him of promoting racial and religious divisions.
Graham later became one of Trump’s most visible supporters in the Senate and was frequently seen golfing and travelling with the president.
Despite their close relationship, Graham occasionally criticised Trump, including over his decision to pardon around 1,500 supporters convicted or charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Graham warned at the time that the pardons could encourage further political violence.
Supporter of Ukraine and Israel
A former military lawyer, Graham was widely regarded as one of the Senate’s most outspoken defence hawks.
He strongly supported US military assistance to Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and repeatedly called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since the beginning of the invasion, according to Zelenskiy.
During his latest trip to Kyiv, Graham met the Ukrainian president to discuss air defence requirements and proposed legislation imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
Speaking in Kyiv on Friday, Graham said China could play a decisive role in pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter peace negotiations.
“The road to ending this war, the road to peace, passes through Beijing more than it does through Washington, Kyiv or Moscow,” Graham told reporters.
He argued that strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities while increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia could eventually force Moscow to negotiate.
Graham was also a staunch supporter of Israel and an outspoken opponent of Iran, frequently advocating a tougher US approach towards Tehran.
Decades in Congress
Graham was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994, representing South Carolina’s 3rd congressional district.
He won election to the Senate in 2002 and became one of the chamber’s most recognisable Republican voices on defence, foreign policy and judicial affairs.
He most recently served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a member of the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees.
Before entering politics, Graham worked as a lawyer in the US Air Force and later served in the South Carolina Air National Guard.
He was unmarried and maintained a residence in Seneca, South Carolina.
