Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday evening following what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness." He was 71. No further details about his death were immediately available, but a recording of an emergency phone call responding to a residence belonging to the senator mentioned a dispatch for cardiac arrest, according to CBS News.
Graham had been scheduled to appear on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday morning. Instead, President Trump appeared in his place and announced the loss. "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!"
In his NBC interview, Trump said he spoke with Graham Saturday evening, shortly after the senator returned from a trip to Ukraine. "Other than being tired he was fine," Trump said, calling it a call that "could have been his last call." He added: "He was like a member of the family to me."
Graham had just returned from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice in one week. During that trip, Graham announced that lawmakers had reached an agreement with the White House on a Russian sanctions bill the president would support, a deal that may stand as his final major legislative achievement. Zelenskyy called Graham "a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer" and said that "America and the world have lost a determined leader." He noted that Graham had visited Ukraine ten times during Russia's full-scale invasion.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also offered a tribute. "Sara and I grieve with the American people over the loss of our dear friend," Netanyahu said in a statement. "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend." Israel's President Isaac Herzog said he was "shocked and heartbroken to learn of the sudden passing of the great American patriot."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said his "heart is heavy this morning to learn of the passing of my friend and colleague." Thune called Graham a "trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel." He said Graham's "influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations."
Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002, winning the seat once held by Strom Thurmond. He won reelection three times, most recently in 2020, defeating Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison by more than 10 points despite being outspent by more than $25 million. Before the Senate, Graham served four terms in the House representing South Carolina's third congressional district, first elected in 1994.
In the Senate, Graham chaired the Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2022, overseeing the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. He most recently chaired the Senate Budget Committee and led the Senate's push to pass a roughly $70 billion budget reconciliation bill to fund border security, which Trump signed in June. He also served on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees.
Graham was born on July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina. Both of his parents died when he was in his early 20s, leaving him as legal guardian for his younger sister, Darline, who was 13 at the time. He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina, then served as a military lawyer before entering politics.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he and his family were "devastated" by the news. "The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend. ... We shall not see his likes again," McMaster posted on X. The flags above the White House were lowered to half staff following the announcement of his death.
