Lindsey Graham dies at 71, triggering race for rare South Carolina Senate seat

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 04:42 IST

US Senator Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress and a prominent voice on American foreign policy, died on Saturday night at the age of 71, according to his office. A preliminary finding shared by his office said he died after a rupture in his aorta linked to hardening of the arteries. An official cause of death will be released after toxicological and microscopic testing.

Graham had turned 71 two days before his death. His office had initially said he suffered a "brief and sudden illness". Trump said Graham was "like a member of the family. It's very tough," and said the senator 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 US to be flown at half-staff until next Saturday evening.

A South Carolina Republican and former Air Force lawyer, Graham served in Congress for more than three decades after first being elected to the Senate in 2002, following his time in the House of Representatives. He was known for backing a strong US military role abroad and remained one of the most influential figures in Washington on international affairs. On Friday, he had announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move ahead with a package of sanctions on Russia.

As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham played a central role during Trump's second term as Republicans pushed major legislation through the chamber while holding a narrow 53-47 majority. He also used Senate procedures to help pass key policies, including last year's tax law, without the threat of a Democratic filibuster. Earlier, he 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 his party kept control after the midterm elections.

Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement. Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November, will also be replaced through a special primary that must be held within weeks of the vacancy. 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 due to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, along with minor party and independent candidates. His death is expected to trigger a contest for the rare open Senate seat, with names including Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, Pamela Evette and Russell Fry circulating as possible replacements.

Graham's relationship with Trump was close but complicated. During the 2016 Republican presidential race, Graham briefly ran against Trump and called him "unfit for office". He also used a profanity to describe Trump after remarks about John McCain, Graham's closest friend in the Senate. Trump later read out Graham's personal mobile number at a campaign rally in South Carolina and mocked him through the race, while Graham made clear he would not support him.

After Trump entered the White House, Graham's position changed sharply and he became one of the president's strongest allies, speaking to him often and joining him regularly on the golf course. In a 2018 interview with The Associated Press, Graham said 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 became one of Trump's leading defenders during both of his first-term impeachments, a notable shift from his role as a House prosecutor during President Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998, when he had urged senators not to make up their minds before hearing all the arguments. Although Graham appeared to distance himself from Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, saying on the Senate floor, "Count me out. Enough is enough," he soon moved back into Trump's camp and remained close to him during the president's second term.

Foreign policy remained central to Graham's public life. 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 called him "a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer". Graham was also a leading supporter of Trump's war in Iran and had long argued for direct confrontation with Tehran. This summer, even as some Republicans questioned a tentative June ceasefire agreement that they feared could send billions of dollars to Iran, Graham defended Trump's memorandum of understanding with Tehran, saying, "I'd rather try diplomacy than take it off the table." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable, adding, "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend."

Beyond foreign policy, Graham was a key figure in efforts to shape major domestic policy. He was part of the bipartisan group that crafted a large immigration overhaul in 2013, which 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. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat who worked with him on the issue, said Graham was "part of every important policy issue and an indispensable player" in bipartisan negotiations.

Lawmakers from both parties said Graham's influence stretched beyond formal roles. Virginia Senator Mark Warner said "personal relationships often mattered more to him than the political disagreements of the day". Senator Richard Blumenthal said Graham was "over the moon" about the Russia sanctions deal announced on Friday and added, "The last thing in the world I would have guessed was that he was sick or ill or in any way vulnerable." Jaime Harrison, who ran unsuccessfully against Graham in 2020, said that even during their "fiercest political battles" the two men "could still share a conversation, a laugh, and a mutual respect for South Carolina". Wyoming Senator John Barrasso said Graham would be missed for his "quick wit and infectious laughter", while McMaster called him "irreplaceable". 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 was also known for speaking about his modest upbringing, saying he grew up behind a bar in South Carolina and helped raise his sister, Darline, after their parents died when they were young. He was not married and did not have children. His death closes the career of a senator who shaped debates on war, the courts, immigration and Trump's presidency, while leaving South Carolina Republicans to decide who will carry his seat into the next term.

With PTI Inputs

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