Longtime Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has died at the age of 71 following a brief and sudden illness, according to a spokesperson from his office. The South Carolina lawmaker, first elected to the US Senate in 2002, was campaigning for a fifth term in this year's midterm elections.
Before entering politics, Graham served for six years in the US Air Force as both a prosecutor and defence attorney. His early life was shaped by personal tragedy after losing both parents within 15 months while in college. He later helped raise and adopted his younger sister, Darline.
Graham launched a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2015 and initially emerged as a critic of Donald Trump. However, he later became one of Trump's closest political allies and a prominent voice on national security and foreign policy. During his Senate career, he chaired the influential Judiciary and Budget Committees.
President Trump paid tribute on Truth Social, describing Graham as "a true American patriot" who would be greatly missed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, fellow lawmakers and international leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praised Graham's decades of public service and enduring influence on US defence, foreign policy and the judiciary.
