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Graham Dies at 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham died at age 71 after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” and NBC News reported his office confirmed he died Saturday night from that illness.
“In short: US senator Lindsey Graham has died a rupture to his aorta, aged 71”
NBC News said the preliminary cause of death was “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” and it also reported emergency personnel responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s Capitol Hill home on Saturday night.
Trump led tributes, describing Graham as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known,” and NBC News reported Trump told “Meet the Press” that he spoke with Graham on Saturday night, hours before the senator died.
NBC News also reported Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was seeking a fifth six-year Senate term in November, while South Carolina law required Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint someone to fill the seat until Jan. 3 of next year.
Trump, Thune, McMaster Tributes
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!,” and he described Graham as “a true American Patriot.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham was “a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe,” while South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called him “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America — and a loyal and steadfast friend.”
The Root described Civil Rights icon Rev. Al Sharpton paying tribute on social media, saying, “Though Senator Graham and I had stark political differences, we shared light moments talking about our respective relationships with the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.”
The Root also quoted Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright saying Graham “gutted healthcare and championed the Big Ugly Bill that cut to Medicaid and SNAP funding by more than ever before in American history,” framing a legacy shaped by policy choices after Trump’s 2016 election.
Ukraine, Israel, Iran Stakes
Graham’s death removed from the Senate a visible champion of US military power and close alliances, and The Jerusalem Post said Israeli leaders treated his death as the end of a political relationship they had come to rely on.
“President Donald Trump couldn’t help himself by taking one more dig at Lindsey Graham just a day after the senator’s death was announced”
The Jerusalem Post quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends,” and it also quoted Netanyahu describing Graham as “a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
NBC News reported Graham had recently met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where Zelenskyy said Graham visited Ukraine 10 times during the war and that “We were in constant dialogue, which I will miss.”
NBC News added that Tehran’s state media celebrated Graham’s death, describing him as “warmongering” and “anti-Iranian,” and it reported Graham’s death came as fellow Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell remained in the hospital after paramedics responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” last month.
