Lindsey Graham dies at 71, tributes pour in from Trump and world leaders
Lindsey Graham’s death at 71 drew rare bipartisan grief, from Trump’s family-style tribute to Zelenskyy’s praise of his Ukraine role.
Sen. Lindsey Graham died Saturday evening at 71 following a brief and sudden illness. Graham’s office confirmed he died in South Carolina and asked for privacy for his family.
President Donald Trump, Joe Biden and world leaders honored him Sunday. Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and said he was “like a member of the family,” then ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff through July 18 at 6 p.m. The White House also lowered flags in his honor. Biden and Jill Biden were shocked by Graham’s sudden passing and recalled serving with him in Congress for more than a decade and traveling the world together as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Vice President JD Vance called Graham a “one-of-a-kind figure in our politics.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham’s influence on the federal judiciary, national defense and South Carolina would be felt for generations. Graham first entered the House in 1995 after being elected in 1994, won a Senate seat in 2002 and went on to serve four terms in the chamber. He was running for reelection in what had long been considered a safe Republican seat.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called him a “true defender of freedom,” said Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times during Russia’s full-scale invasion and said America and the world had lost a determined leader. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Graham’s support for Israel, while NATO and eastern European officials praised his backing of Ukraine and trans-Atlantic ties.
Under state law, Gov. Henry McMaster must appoint a temporary replacement and a special election will determine who appears on the ballot in November for the now-open Senate seat. Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine and was scheduled Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press.
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