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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died Saturday evening following a “brief and sudden” illness, according to a statement from his office. He was 71.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” it continued.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died Saturday at age 71 following a “brief and sudden” illness, ending 23 years of service in the U.S. Senate and more than three decades in politics. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump reacted to Graham’s death, calling the longtime South Carolina senator a “true American Patriot.”
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster released a statement early Sunday morning expressing that he is “devastated” by the news of Graham’s passing.
“Peggy and I – and our children – are devastated,” he said in a statement. “Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend. We grieve with Darline, his family and his developed staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again.”
Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and won reelection three times. He was seeking a fifth Senate term after winning the Republican primary last month.
Graham served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and sat on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees.
Before joining the Senate, Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District since 1877.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham was a steadfast advocate for the United States and its allies, adding that his influence on the federal judiciary, national defense and his home state of South Carolina “will be felt for generations.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “lost one of its greatest friends” with Graham’s death, calling the senator “a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine.”
“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable,” Netanyahu said. “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) before their meeting, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 10, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS)
Graham, who frequently visited Ukraine, had just met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday. He was scheduled to appear on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog mourned Graham’s death, calling the South Carolina senator a “great American patriot” and a “great friend of Israel.”
“Senator Graham was a beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the U.S.-Israel partnership,” he said in a statement. “We will never forget how he stood by the people of Israel in our most difficult moments, and we will remain eternally grateful for his sense of justice, truth, and loyalty.
“The people of Israel mourn his loss, and I will miss my great friend very dearly,” he added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz remembered Graham as “an unwavering voice in support of Israel’s security and its right to defend itself.” He noted that Graham repeatedly visited Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, calling him “an exceptional leader, a man of principle, and a dear friend whose legacy will endure for generations.”
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The longtime politician had served as a US senator for South Carolina since 2003. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Graham served 33 years in the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 2015. An Air Force lawyer, he served in Germany during the Cold War, was called to active duty during the Gulf War, and later completed multiple Reserve deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during congressional recesses.
Graham’s office confirmed his death in a statement to Fox News Digital.
This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.
