Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 After Sudden Illness

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died Saturday night after a brief and sudden illness. His office confirmed the death, the Associated Press reported. He was 71.

Voters first elected Graham to the Senate in 2002. He went on to represent South Carolina for more than two decades. Graham built a reputation as a close ally of President Donald Trump. He also pushed consistently for an assertive U.S. foreign policy, including hawkish positions on Iran. In addition, he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021.

Graham had just returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. NBC had scheduled him to appear on “Meet the Press” Sunday morning. Instead, his office asked for privacy for his family during what it called “an incredibly difficult period.” The office gave no further details on the illness.

Reaction

Tributes began arriving within hours. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a longtime friend and colleague, called Graham “irreplaceable” in a statement Sunday. He also praised him as “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America.”

Zelenskyy wrote on X on Friday, after meeting Graham in Kyiv, that Ukraine appreciated his support. The message took on added weight once news of Graham’s death broke a day later.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz likewise called Graham “one of its strongest and most steadfast supporters” of Israel. He pointed to Graham’s repeated visits to the country after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Still, not every reaction was warm. Conservative commentary site Townhall noted that Graham drew significant criticism from within his own party over the years. Critics faulted his consistent hawkishness on military intervention. Many also pointed to his 2013 push for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Tributes and criticism alike will likely continue to circulate in the coming days.