Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), 71, died Saturday night, July 11, after what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness." He had turned 71 just the week before.
Emergency responders were called to Graham’s Capitol Hill home Saturday evening; a staffer said there had been no indication beforehand that the senator was feeling unwell. He had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s "Meet the Press" Sunday morning. His office has not released further details about his illness and has asked for privacy for his family.
Graham had just returned from Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Zelenskyy on Friday to discuss air defense and sanctions on Russia. First elected to the Senate in 2002, he chaired the Senate Budget Committee and was one of the chamber’s most prominent voices on defense and foreign policy, known for his partnership with the late Sen. John McCain. He evolved from an early Trump critic into one of the president’s closest Senate allies, and was running for a fifth term this November.
President Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ukrainian officials are among those who have paid tribute.
🕊️ In this video:
What’s known about Graham’s sudden death
His decades-long career and political evolution
Tributes from world leaders
What his death means for the Senate and this fall’s midterms
#LindseyGraham #BreakingNews #Senate #Politics2026
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