Lindsey Graham, pivotal US Republican senator, dies suddenly at 71

World deathDonald TrumpTop NewsUnited States Lindsey Graham, pivotal US Republican senator, dies suddenly at 71 Relevant News Lindsey Graham, pivotal US Republican senator, dies suddenly at 71 12 July 2026 Sirens to sound across Cyprus on 15 and 20 July 12 July 2026 1,600 cannabinoid products seized at Larnaca airport, two arrested 12 July 2026 newsroom 12 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Republican who went from a vocal critic of Donald Trump to one of his most loyal allies on Capitol Hill after Trump became president, has died at age 71. The South Carolina lawmaker died after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office posted on X early on Sunday. U.S. media said emergency personnel had responded to a call for cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home on Saturday night. Graham, just back from a trip to Ukraine, had been scheduled to appear on the “Meet the Press” interview program on Sunday morning, the network said. Shortly after his death was announced, Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known” and a hard-working patriot. During the 2016 campaign, in which Graham was among many Republicans who lost the presidential nomination to Trump, he posted on social media: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.” Graham told CNN in 2015 that Trump was “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot,” adding, “He doesn’t represent my party. He doesn’t represent the values that the men and women who wear the uniform are fighting for.” Later, after becoming a loyal supporter and frequent golf partner, Graham still publicly disagreed with Trump’s decision upon returning to office last year to pardon about 1,500 of the president’s supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, saying it could lead to more violence. A defense hawk, Graham “consistently pushed for outcomes in the War on Terror that protect our long-term national security interests,” his website said. He was a prominent supporter of Israel and Ukraine and opponent of Iran. “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. On Friday, Graham said China could ​play a decisive role in pressuring Russia towards peace talks, helping end its war in ‌Ukraine. Graham, a frequent visitor to Ukraine, met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv. They discussed Ukraine’s air defense ​needs and a Russian sanctions bill, Zelenskiy said. Graham said bolstering Ukraine’s military capabilities and aligning ​sanctions with a diplomatic push could force Moscow into talks. “The road to ending this ⁠war, the road to peace, passes through Beijing more than it does (through) Washington, Kyiv or Moscow,” Graham told ​reporters at Kyiv’s Mykhailivska Square. “China has ​an oversized influence. I’d like them to use their influence for the good of the world.” “I don’t believe (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is there yet, but it wouldn’t take much to get him there.” Graham recently served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a member of the Committee on Appropriations, the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Environment and Public Works. A former Air Force lawyer and member of the South Carolina Air National Guard, Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002. Before that, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 for South Carolina’s 3rd congressional district, according to his website. He was not married and lived in Seneca, South Carolina. (Reuters) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Sirens to sound across Cyprus on 15 and 20 July 1,600 cannabinoid products seized at Larnaca airport, two arrested Fire service on heightened alert after surge in countryside blazes Two killed and four injured in shooting near Toronto salsa festival Spontaneous combustion sparks fire at Ayia Marina home Government investment in public hospitals rises to €206.7 million US strikes Iran, Tehran says Strait of Hormuz closed, Gulf states hit Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.