Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after sudden illness, opening South Carolina Senate race

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 02:50 IST

US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump and one of the most influential Republican voices on foreign policy, has died after what his office called a brief and sudden illness. He was 71.

In a statement released on Sunday, Graham's office said preliminary findings by the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia showed that he died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The statement said this meant the aorta had been damaged or had developed a leak. It added that the death certificate would remain pending until toxicological and microscopic tests were completed, after which the cause of death and manner of death would be updated.

The statement posted on social media early Sunday said his family "appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period". It did not give further details about the circumstances of Graham's death on Saturday night. Trump, who said he spoke to Graham frequently, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the senator was "like a member of the family. It's very tough" and that Graham had called him on Saturday night after returning from a trip to Ukraine and "sounded a little bit tired, but perfect". Trump ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening.

A former Air Force lawyer who served in Congress for three decades, Graham was a noted foreign policy hawk and an influential figure in Washington on global affairs. He had advised Trump on issues including the Iran war and Russia, and on Friday had announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move ahead with a package of Russia sanctions. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, he also played a central role during Trump's second term as Republicans pushed major legislation with their narrow 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Graham, who was elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, long argued for robust US military intervention and strong national defence. His relationship with Trump started badly during the 2016 Republican presidential race, when Graham called him "unfit for office" and used a profanity after Trump made disparaging remarks about Arizona Republican John McCain, Graham's closest friend in the Senate. Trump later read out Graham's personal mobile phone number at a rally in South Carolina and continued to mock him during the campaign. But after Trump entered the White House, Graham became one of his closest allies and often spoke to him and appeared with him on the golf course.

In a 2018 interview with The Associated Press, Graham explained that shift by saying McCain had taught him that after elections the country had to move forward and that meant "you have an obligation" to help the president. "And I've tried to be helpful where I could because I think he needs all the help he can get," Graham said of Trump. "You can be a better critic when people understand that you're trying to help them be successful." Graham later defended Trump during both of his first-term impeachments. He briefly appeared to break with Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, saying in a speech on the Senate floor, "Count me out. Enough is enough." He soon returned to Trump's side, and the two remained close during Trump's second term.

Foreign policy remained central to Graham's work. He had just returned from Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's invasion in February 2022 and described him as "a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer". Graham was also one of the chief backers of Trump's war in Iran and had for years argued for direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Even as some Republicans questioned a tentative June ceasefire agreement, Graham said of Trump's memorandum of understanding with Tehran, "I'd rather try diplomacy than take it off the table."

His frequent overseas travel made him familiar to world leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable. "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend," Netanyahu said.

In domestic politics, Graham used his committee roles to shape major Republican priorities. As Budget Committee chairman, he helped oversee the Senate procedure that allowed Republicans to pass significant policies such as last year's tax law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster. He had earlier led the Senate Judiciary Committee when Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020, and he had said he would confirm "as many conservative judges as possible" if he regained the post. Graham was also a key figure in a bipartisan immigration overhaul in 2013 that passed the Senate with 68 votes but was never taken up by the House. His support for a path to citizenship for people in the US without legal status put him at odds with some Republicans.

Lawmakers from both parties paid tribute to Graham's influence and personal style. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat who worked with him on immigration, said Graham was "part of every important policy issue and an indispensable player" in bipartisan talks. Virginia Senator Mark Warner said personal relationships often mattered more to Graham than political disagreements, while Senator Richard Blumenthal said Graham had been "over the moon" about the Russia sanctions deal announced on Friday and that he had no sign that the senator was unwell. Former rival Jaime Harrison said that even in their "fiercest political battles" they could still share "a conversation, a laugh, and a mutual respect for South Carolina". Republican Senator John Barrasso said Graham would be missed for his "quick wit and infectious laughter". South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called him "irreplaceable", and former president George W Bush said Graham "understood how the world works" and was "a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it". Graham often spoke of his modest upbringing, growing up in the back of a South Carolina bar and helping raise his sister Darline after their parents died young. He was not married and did not have children.

Under South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who had been seeking a fifth term in November. A new nominee will be chosen in a special primary that must be held within weeks of the vacancy, and the winner of November's general election will begin a full six-year term in January. Graham had won 57 per cent of the Republican primary vote in June and was set to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, along with several minor-party and independent candidates. His death is expected to trigger a contest for the now-open seat, with Republican names including Representatives Nancy Mace and Russell Fry already being discussed. The initial statement from Graham's office did not explain the circumstances of his death and came at a time of wider concern about the lack of transparency over the health of some members of Congress, including the months-long unexplained absence of Representative Tom Kean Jr before he disclosed depression, and the recent hospitalisation of former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell for undisclosed reasons.

Graham's death brings to an end a long Senate career in which he shaped debates on foreign policy, courts, budgets and immigration, built a close but at times complicated alliance with Trump, and remained a powerful figure in Washington until his final days.

With PTI Inputs

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