US Sen. Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and unexpected illness, his office says

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress who traveled the globe to advocate for a more muscular U.S. foreign policy abroad, died Saturday evening after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement posted on social media. He was 71.

His office did not provide any additional details about the South Carolina Republican and said his family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”

“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump posted on social media early Sunday morning. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said “my heart is heavy this morning to learn the passing of my friend and colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham.”

“Lindsey’s long and dedicated service in the Air Force and in Congress carried him to far-flung regions of the world,” Thune said. “He was a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe. He believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause.”

Graham was close with Trump

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, Graham briefly ran for president in 2016 and clashed with Trump, criticizing him as “unfit for office.”

However, he later emerged as one of Trump’s top allies, speaking with him frequently and becoming a regular presence on the golf course alongside the president.

Graham especially advised the president on foreign policy matters such as Iran and Russia, and had just announced an agreement on Friday with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of Russia sanctions. The senator had been in Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who acknowledged the senator’s 10th visit to the country and thanked him for “recognizing our warriors.”

As a member of the U.S. House in the 1990s, Graham backed policies aimed at isolating Iran and limiting its missile and nuclear programs.

He also cheered on Trump’s decision to strike nuclear sites last year and had been a supporter of the latest conflict that started a few months ago.

But before he allied himself tightly with Trump, Graham was most known for his friendship and partnership with the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

McCain and Graham, along with former Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., were known as the “Three Amigos” and frequently traveled to push their hawkish foreign policy views around the globe.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday mourned Graham’s death, calling him “a great friend of Israel” and “a cherished friend of mine.”

Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States is inseparable and devoted his life to defending America, strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance and standing up for the free world.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Netanyahu said, extending condolences to Graham’s family and the American people.

The Republican had a prominent career on Capitol Hill

Graham had been serving as the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, giving him a central role during Trump’s second term as Republicans pushed major legislation on party-line votes with a slim majority in the chamber.

His committee oversaw a process called reconciliation, a Senate procedure that allowed Republicans to pass significant policies such as last year’s tax law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster.

He had previously led the Senate Judiciary Committee when Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020, and was in line to regain that gavel if the party kept control of the Senate after this year’s midterms.

Graham also played a central role in the Senate’s efforts to craft a massive immigration overhaul in 2013 as a member of the so-called Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group that wrote a sweeping measure that rewrote virtually every part of U.S. immigration law. It passed the Senate with 68 votes but was never taken up by the House, so it did not become law.

But Graham’s views on immigration, particularly an endorsement of a pathway to citizenship for people in the U.S. without legal status, put him at odds with much of the Republican Party and made him vulnerable to primary challenges in South Carolina.

This year, Graham faced primary threats from Paul Dans, a key author of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for governing drafted while Trump was running to regain the White House. But Dans dropped out of the race in April and Graham won his primary outright in June and was facing Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from Charleston, in November.

Graham relied heavily on his close ties with Trump as he fended off primary challengers, and he addressed the president in his victory speech last month, saying, “I’m going to help you change this world and change this country.”

Little explanation from Graham’s office

The sparse statement by Graham’s office, which did not explain his death, comes during a stretch of concern about a lack of transparency about lawmakers’ health.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a New Jersey Republican, was absent without explanation for months before returning to Congress and disclosing that he had been diagnosed with depression.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, was hospitalized weeks ago for undisclosed health reasons.

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Brian P. D. Hannon in Bangkok contributed to this report.