U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican lawmaker from South Carolina and a close political ally of President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
The announcement was made on Sunday in a statement released by Senator Graham’s office. No further details on the cause of death were immediately disclosed.
Graham served in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades after first being elected in 2002. Before joining the Senate, he represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives and served in the U.S. Air Force as a military lawyer.
Over the course of his political career, Graham became one of the Republican Party’s most influential voices on national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments. Although he initially opposed Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, he later became one of the president’s closest allies in Congress, frequently supporting the administration’s positions on domestic and international issues.
According to reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press, Graham played a leading role in shaping Republican positions on matters including U.S. military policy, support for Israel and Ukraine, relations with Iran, and sanctions against Russia.
Following news of his death, tributes began pouring in from political leaders across the United States. President Donald Trump described Graham as “a true American patriot” and praised his decades of public service, while fellow lawmakers remembered him for his influence on foreign policy and his commitment to national defence, according to statements reported by the Associated Press and other U.S. media.
Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim replacement to fill the Senate seat until a special election is held.
Graham’s death marks the end of a public career spanning more than 30 years in Congress and leaves a significant vacancy in the U.S. Senate at a pivotal moment in American politics.
Sources: Official statement from Senator Lindsey Graham’s office; reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press.
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