Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican Senator who represented South Carolina, died at 71 on Saturday evening. In a brief statement, his office said the Senator “passed away from a brief and sudden illness” and requested privacy for his family.
Emergency Medical Services audio shows that emergency workers arrived at Graham’s Capitol Hill address at 8:27 p.m. Saturday in response to “chest pains.”
Graham joined the House of Representatives in 1995 and the Senate in 2003. He was then reelected three times and was poised to pursue a fourth in 2026.
A fixture in national politics, and a central conservative voice, Graham was known for his hawkish approach to foreign policy, for chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, and for his dramatic political shift from outspoken critic to staunch ally of President Donald Trump. He was scheduled to appear on Sunday’s Meet the Press.
Read More: ‘He Was Not Cheated.’ Lindsey Graham Shares His Last Conversation With John McCain
According to South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster must now appoint a temporary replacement to Graham’s seat on the Senate. A special primary election will then be held on August 11—with a possible runoff later in August—to choose a new Republican nominee to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the state’s midterm elections in November.
News of Graham’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from political allies, rivals, and world leaders.
Global Leaders Pay Their Respects
President Donald Trump
Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known,” in a post on Truth Social early Sunday
“He was always working, and was a true American Patriot,” Trump said. “Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Graham was once a vocal critic of Trump, having run against him in the presidential primary in 2016, and called him a “race-baiting xenophobic religious bigot” at the time. However, after a reported “make-up” lunch between the two in 2017, he seemed to have a change of heart.
“The American people spoke, and they rejected my analysis,” Graham said on CBS’s Face the Nation in 2018.
Graham went on to vigorously defend Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and he supported the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett.
In a Sunday interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he spoke with Graham shortly before his death and that their final call was about the SAVE Act.
“This is a big blow to the SAVE America Act, let me tell you,” Trump told host Kristen Welker. He said that he’d told Graham: “‘We’re going to get it done, Lindsey, we’re going to get it done, I’ll see you, like soon.’”
Tributes from officials across the U.S.
Politicians from across the aisle mourned and praised Graham on Sunday.
Vice President J.D. Vance recalled an anecdote from his time in the Senate involving a “shouting match” with Graham over funding Ukraine. In retelling it, Vance shared that he later discovered that Graham was helping push one of Vance’s priorities behind the scenes.
“That was Lindsey Graham. He fought like hell for the things he believed in, and he was just as willing to go to bat for you when it counted,” Vance said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune called 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,” Thune said.
Tim Scott, South Carolina’s other Republican senator, remembered Graham for leading with “faith, family, and South Carolina first” and for bringing “levity and wit” to challenging moments.
Rep. James Clyburn, the sole Democrat representing South Carolina in Washington, also mourned Graham.
“We maintained a relationship grounded in mutual respect, even when our political differences were significant,” Clyburn said on X. “His commitment to public service and the people he represented will remain an enduring part of his legacy.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who spent Graham’s 71st birthday with him in Turkey during the recent NATO summit, praised him as “no better friend, no tougher adversary.”
“It’s my hope that we will take up and pass this bill in Lindsey’s memory this week when we all get back to session,” Coons said on ABC’s This Week on Sunday.
Former President George W. Bush said that he and his wife, Laura Bush, were “saddened” to wake up to the news.
“He was a knowledgeable Senator who understood how the world works and how important America’s international engagement is to resist tyranny,” Bush wrote in a statement. “He was a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it. South Carolina was fortunate to have such a committed public servant in its corner. And I was fortunate to have known Lindsey Graham.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The South Carolina senator was a vocal ally of Ukraine, which reflected his longstanding interventionist foreign policy views. On his most recent trip to Kyiv, Graham and President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed bolstering Ukraine’s military capabilities and continuing sanctions, as well as a diplomatic push for peace talks with Moscow.
Zelensky remembered Graham on social media as a “true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
“He visited Ukraine ten times during the years of Russia’s full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed,” Zelensky wrote. “We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Graham as an ally to his country, calling him “a great friend of Israel” and “a cherished friend of mine.”
“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said in his statement on Sunday.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also referred to Graham as a friend, calling him a “beacon of moral clarity” in a statement.
Remembrances continue to pour in from around the globe
Graham was an advocate for the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO), and European leaders were among those to pay tribute on social media Sunday.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called Graham a “powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also praised Graham’s support for Europe and Ukraine on social media, saying that the late senator “fought until the very end to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.”
“A determined and fearless leader. He will be deeply missed,” she said.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb mourned Graham as a “personal friend” and praised his support for NATO and Ukraine, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called him a “partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance.”
“We stood side by side for more than four decades,” Merz said. “I will miss him.”