U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham Dead at 71 from ‘Brief and Sudden Illness,’ Office Announces

Kaitlin Housler
Sen. Lindsey Graham

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) passed away from a “brief and sudden illness” Saturday evening, his office announced overnight.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness. Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the South Carolina senator’s office posted on social media.

CNN reportedly obtained and reviewed dispatch audio from emergency crews responding to a “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s home.

Tributes for 71-year old Graham poured in from his colleagues in the Senate and South Carolina, as well as President Donald Trump.

“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) said he had lost both a colleague and a close friend.

“South Carolina lost a statesman and I’ve lost a friend. My prayers are with his sister and the rest of his family. From his humble beginnings to the Senate floor, Lindsey always led with faith, family, and South Carolina first. Lindsey remained committed to public service and doing what he loved. He always introduced levity and brought wit to the most challenging moments. Lindsey will be missed,” Scott said.

Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) also expressed condolences, highlighting Graham’s influence on foreign policy.

“Chrissy and I are deeply saddened by Senator Lindsey Graham’s untimely passing. Lindsey was a dedicated public servant and a strong voice on many issues, particularly international affairs where his leadership was felt around the world. We join so many others in praying for his family during this difficult time, and we pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace,” Hagerty said.

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a longtime friend of Graham, also reflected on the senator’s decades of public service and defended his approach to foreign policy.

“Contrary to a public narrative that he was a war hawk, it was the opposite that is true,” Hannity wrote. “He wanted an end to the war with Russia and Ukraine and end all conflicts in the Middle East. There is no elected official that traveled to these regions more than Senator Graham.”

Hannity said Graham envisioned “a lasting peace” in the Middle East and frequently discussed those goals with President Donald Trump. He also praised Graham’s work ethic, calling him “the hardest working man in the U.S. Senate” and saying there was “simply nobody in elected office that loved his job and worked harder.” Hannity concluded by offering prayers for Graham’s family and expressing hope that the senator’s vision for peace would one day be realized.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, who will now be tasked with appointing a temporary replacement to Graham’s U.S. Senate seat under the 17th Amendment and South Carolina law until voters elect a successor, also mourned the senator’s death, calling him “irreplaceable” and praising his decades of service to the state and nation.

“Peggy and I – and our children – are devastated. Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable,” McMaster said. “The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America and a loyal and steadfast friend. We grieve with Darline, his family and his devoted staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again.”

Graham served more than three decades in elected office and military service. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 after serving four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time of his death, he served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

Senator Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham / X

Before entering Congress, he served as an attorney in the U.S. Air Force before continuing his military career in the South Carolina Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Reserve. His service included duty during the Gulf War and reserve deployments supporting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Graham retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2015 with the rank of colonel after 33 years of military service.

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Image “Sen. Lindsey Graham” by Sen. Lindsey Graham.

 

 

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