Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican known for his fiery rhetoric and close alliance with President Donald Trump, died Saturday evening following a brief and sudden illness, his office announced. He was 71. The news came as a shock to colleagues and friends, many of whom had spoken with him just hours earlier.
Graham had been scheduled to appear on NBC'sMeet the Presson Sunday morning for what would have been his 64th appearance on the program. Host Kristen Welker paid tribute to the late senator on social media, writing:Senator Lindsey Graham was scheduled to appear on @MeetThePress this morning. It would have been his 64th appearance on this broadcast. We are sending our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.
Instead of Graham, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Welker to reflect on the senator's life and legacy. Trump revealed that he had spoken with Graham on Saturday evening, just hours before his death.So what makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night sometime,
Trump said.He called, and he said, 'We're all set for the SAVE America Act.' He was pushing the SAVE America Act like crazy. He got back, said he just landed from Ukraine.
Trump described Graham as sounding tired but otherwise fine.He sounded great, actually,
Trump added.He said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act. And I said, 'Well, we're going to get it done, Lindsey.' And then that was it. It could have been his last call.
Trump said he received a message around 1 a.m. that Graham had passed away.He was like a member of the family to me,
Trump said.It's very tough, actually. It's amazing.
Prime Minister Netanyahu called Graham abeloved friend
and said he was in a state of shock.Lindsey never confused good and evil,
Netanyahu said.He knew exactly where the Iranian regime is. He thought it was a great danger, not merely to Israel and to America's allies in the Middle East, but to America itself.
Netanyahu also noted that Graham's death wasgrief
to Israel andcelebration
to Iran.
Graham had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003, after serving four terms in the House of Representatives. A former Air Force lawyer, he retired as a colonel after 33 years of military service. He was a prominent advocate for a muscular U.S. foreign policy and a staunch supporter of Israel. He had just returned from a trip to Ukraine before his death and was running for a fifth Senate term.
His sudden passing has triggered a political scramble in South Carolina. Under state law, candidate filing opens the second Tuesday after a primary nominee's death and remains open for one week. The special primary is scheduled for Aug. 11, with a potential runoff on Aug. 25. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the Nov. 3 general election.
President Trump, during hisMeet the Pressappearance, hinted that he already has a preferred candidate to replace Graham.I have somebody that I think would be great,
Trump said.But I don't want to say it now because it's just, it's too soon with Lindsey.
The appointment process will be guided by the Constitution and state law, with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, tasked with appointing a temporary replacement.
Graham's death also tightens the Republican majority in the Senate. The GOP currently holds a 52-seat majority, but with Senator Mitch McConnell's absence still unclear, that majority is effectively 51 votes. This will increase pressure and drama as the party works to find a replacement for the longtime lawmaker.
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. Colleagues remembered Graham as a determined leader and a tireless worker.America and the world have lost a determined leader,
read one tribute. Graham's family asked for privacy during the difficult period, and his office released a statement expressing gratitude for prayers.
Graham's death marks the end of an era in South Carolina politics. From his small-town roots to his rise as a GOP power broker, he leaves behind a complex legacy of fierce partisanship and occasional bipartisan cooperation. As the state and the nation mourn, the process of filling his seat will begin, with all eyes on Governor McMaster and President Trump.