Christmas. 12, 2026, 11:22 AM EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Senator Lindsey Graham, who played a major role in shaping a quarter-century of American foreign policy — from the post-9\/11 U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to the second Trump administration’s war with Iran — died unexpectedly on Saturday. He was 71.<\/p>\n

Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” said a statement posted<\/a> to Graham’s social media account. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”<\/p>\n

In a social media post<\/a>President Donald Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators” he has ever known and “a true American Patriot.” <\/p>\n

Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he spoke to Graham on Saturday around 7 p.m. about the so-called Save America Act, the GOP’s election overhaul bill. The president said there were no signs the senator was not well. “He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough, actually,” Trump said.<\/p>\n

“I think America has lost a great patriot. Israel has lost a great champion of the American-Israeli alliance,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told NBC. “And frankly, I’ve lost a beloved friend I’ve had for many decades.”<\/p>\n

Emergency medical workers responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by MS NOW.<\/p>\n

House Majority Leader John Thune posted in response<\/a> to the news, calling Graham “a trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel. His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations.”<\/p>\n

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that he loved Graham “like a brother, which means when I fight with him, I want to kill him, and they’re awful and ugly fights. And yet, when we work together, and when I see the good that he wants to do for our country, I’m able to forgive him and find the positives in him. We had knockdown, drag-out fights.” Coons said he attended Graham’s recent birthday dinner — the late senator turned 71 on July 9.<\/p>\n

Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and was seeking a fifth Senate term in November, after fending off multiple primary challengers. Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, he was a powerful figure in conservative South Carolina politics and a national GOP leader in defense policy and foreign affairs.<\/p>\n

“Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable,” said South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in a statement.<\/a> “The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America — and a loyal and steadfast friend.” <\/p>\n

McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham’s seat until January 2027. South Carolina Republicans will have to hold a primary later this summer to choose a new candidate to replace Graham on the ballot to face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Andrews, a pediatrician who is not favored to beat a Republican in her deep red state, said in a statement, “I hope that South Carolinians will join me in setting partisanship aside and offering gratitude to Senator Lindsey Graham for his service to the great state of South Carolina.”<\/p>\n

Colleagues were stunned to learn of his passing. <\/p>\n

“Total shock and disbelief,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and valued colleague.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he, too, was “shocked and saddened,” calling Graham “a tireless champion for South Carolina, and an outspoken advocate for America’s role in protecting freedom throughout the world.”<\/p>\n

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Graham was “my friend and a true leader for our country. It is hard to convey the loss that I feel knowing that we will no longer have his leadership in the Senate.”<\/p>\n

“South Carolina lost a giant last night,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. Mace, who lost her primary bid for governor, is “strongly considering” running in the GOP primary to replace Graham, a source familiar with the matter told MS NOW.<\/p>\n

South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim. Clyburn also said he was “shocked and saddened” about Graham’s passing. “Our political relationship was sometimes partisan and passionate, but always pleasant and productive on behalf of the people of South Carolina,” he said, extending his condolences to Graham’s sister, Darline Graham<\/a> Nordone.<\/p>\n

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., called for Senate approval of a bipartisan bill, which the White House recently endorsed, to impose sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. “There can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy, or the cause he fought for, than to pass this legislation.”<\/p>\n

Zelenskyy, who met with Graham just on Friday, a day before he died, said on X<\/a>“We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations. We met twice in just the past week.”<\/p>\n

Graham was a protégé of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and the two were personal friends<\/a> well before Graham became an ally of Trump, who later frequently criticized McCain.<\/p>\n

He was one of the so-called “Republican revolutionaries” of 1994, a class of newly elected conservatives who swept Democrats out of power for the first time in 40 years. He eventually became a member of the House Judiciary Committee and served as one of 13 managers prosecuting President Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998.<\/p>\n

Newt Gingrich, who was speaker when Graham was elected to the House of Representatives, praised the late politician<\/a> in a statement: “Senator Lindsey Graham was a remarkable leader. He was always positive enthusiastic and personable. He made major contributions to American national security.”<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, Graham served as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the U.S. Air Force for six years and later served in the Air Force Reserve while in Congress. Graham’s military service helped inform his foreign policy views, and he remained one of the more hawkish members of the GOP when it came to international conflicts, including the war with Iran. In 2014, he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service.<\/p>\n

David Rohde,<\/em> Emily Hung, Erum Salum and Sydney Reynolds contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Kathleen Creedon is a platforms editor for MS NOW. She has previously worked as a web producer for Vanity Fair and Texas Public Radio.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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