JULY 12, 2026

Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican and Trump ally, dies at 71 after sudden illness

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday evening after a "brief and sudden illness," according to a statement from his office. He was 71 years old and had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003. His office provided no additional details about the cause of death and asked for privacy on behalf of his family.

Graham's office announced his death late Saturday in a brief social media statement that gave no medical details beyond describing it as a "brief and sudden illness." President Trump posted on Truth Social early Sunday calling Graham "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known" and "a true American Patriot." Senate Majority Leader John Thune described Graham as "a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe."

Graham was first elected to the House in 1994, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District since 1877, according to Fox News. He moved to the Senate in 2002 and won reelection three times. He served 33 years across the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 2015. At the time of his death he was running for a fifth Senate term, having won his Republican primary in June; he was to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from Charleston, in November.

In his final days Graham was active on foreign policy. He had traveled to Kyiv on July 10 to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — the senator's tenth visit to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the AP. On Friday he announced an agreement with the Trump administration to advance a package of Russia sanctions. He was scheduled to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday morning, Fox News reported. Zelenskyy said Graham was "a true defender of freedom." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Graham "a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine," saying "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends."