Graham served as South Carolina senator since 2003
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday evening after a brief and sudden illness, his office said in a statement early Sunday. He had just turned 71.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” Graham’s office said. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
No further details about the illness were provided.
Graham had served in the Senate since 2003, having been elected in 2002. Before his political career, he served as a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, specializing as a military lawyer. He was known as a foreign policy hawk, supporting the Iraq War and consistently urging military action against Iran, and was one of the strongest advocates in the Senate for Israel.
Graham ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. During the campaign, he was a sharp critic of Donald Trump. After Trump’s victory, however, Graham became one of the president’s closest allies on Capitol Hill, defending Trump publicly and pushing him toward hardline positions on Iran and Israel.