WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican senator from South Carolina and one of the most recognizable figures in American politics, has died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
Graham’s office announced Sunday morning that he died Saturday evening. Additional details regarding the cause of death have not yet been released.
A fixture in Washington for more than two decades, Graham served in the U.S. Senate since 2003 after four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Over the course of his career, he became one of the Senate’s leading voices on national security, military affairs, and foreign policy.
Although he was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Graham later became one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress, frequently defending the former president and serving as a key adviser on domestic and international issues.
Just days before his death, Graham had returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed continued U.S. support for the country and proposed sanctions targeting Russia.
Tributes from across the political spectrum began pouring in shortly after news of his death became public. President Donald Trump called Graham “a true American patriot” and praised his decades of public service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also honored Graham, describing him as a steadfast supporter of freedom and Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.
Graham was serving his fourth Senate term and had been campaigning for reelection in 2026.
Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim successor while a special election is scheduled to fill the remainder of Graham’s term.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Graham’s family has requested privacy as they mourn his passing.
This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
