Senator Lindsey Graham in 2021. Photograph: Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock
Senator Lindsey Graham in 2021. Photograph: Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock The day so far: Washington remembers Lindsey Graham
Tributes have been pouring in this morning as Washington reels from the sudden death of controversial Republican senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, at the age of 71. Graham died on Saturday evening after a “brief and sudden illness”, according to a statement from his office, which gave no further details. Citing police scanner audio, the Washington Post reported that emergency medical services received a call at about 8.30pm on Saturday regarding a person suffering chest pains at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill. About 25 minutes later, per the Post, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and a man was suffering cardiac arrest. There had been no known concerns over the health of Graham, who celebrated his birthday last Thursday and had just returned from a visit to Ukraine.
Donald Trump praised Graham, one of his closest allies, as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and said he had spoken to him on the phone shortly before his death . Graham in many ways embodied the evolution of the Republican party, morphing from a fierce critic of Trump into one of his greatest political cheerleaders once he entered the White House. He was also one of the most influential figures in Washington on foreign affairs, advising Trump on major issues including his war on Iran and Russia. “He was like a member of the family,” Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press, adding that they had talked about Graham’s efforts to rally support for the Save America Act in that final phone call.
Graham had made a name for himself as a foreign policy hawk – notably as a leading voice in Congress for support for Ukraine and Israel, whose dignitaries led global tributes today. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had just met with Graham on Friday, said he was “deeply saddened” by his death and that the world had lost “a determined leader” and a “true defender of freedom”. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “lost one of its greatest friends”, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said the news had left him “shocked and heartbroken”.
Tributes poured in across Washington, from members of the Trump administration to Graham’s colleagues in Congress and in South Carolina. Several senators have called for the Russia sanctions package, which Graham had worked on for months and received the green light from Trump on Friday, to be passed when lawmakers return this week in his memory. A fierce backer of Trump’s war on Iran, Graham’s absence will also be felt as the ceasefire collapses and fighting starts up again.
Graham’s death will also impact the Senate and November’s midterm elections. Per state law, South Carolina’s governor may appoint a temporary replacement, but as Graham was up for re-election this year, there will also be a special primary election on 11 August to replace him on the ballot (and a run-off, if necessary, on 25 August). Trump said he had someone in mind to succeed Graham but said it was “too soon” after his death to say.