13/07/2026
🇺🇸 LONGTIME U.S. SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM DIES AT 71
The United States is mourning the death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who passed away at the age of 71 following what his office initially described as a "brief and sudden illness." Preliminary findings from the medical examiner indicate that he died from an aortic dissection linked to underlying cardiovascular disease, although final medical reports are still pending.
Graham served in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades after first being elected in 2002. Over the years, he became one of the most influential voices on American foreign policy, advocating strong military support for allies, a hardline stance against Iran, continued backing for Ukraine, and close strategic ties with Israel. He was also a former U.S. Air Force lawyer and served in the House of Representatives before joining the Senate.
Although he was a sharp critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential campaign, Graham later became one of Trump's closest allies in Congress and played a key role in advancing many of the administration's legislative and foreign policy priorities. His death came shortly after returning from a visit to Kyiv and just hours before he was scheduled to appear on a national television programme.
Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump described Graham as "a true American patriot," while lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties praised his decades of public service, military background and influence on U.S. national security policy.
His passing leaves a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim senator until a special election is held to fill the remainder of Graham's term.
Lindsey Graham's death marks the end of one of the most prominent political careers in modern American politics, leaving a lasting impact on U.S. foreign policy, national security and Republican leadership.
