Trump ally and senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham dies at 71

Lindsey Graham a Republican Senator , a close ally of Donald Trump, United States President and one of Washington’s most influential foreign policy voices, has died at the age of 71.

His office announced that Graham died on Saturday evening after what it described as “a brief and sudden illness”. He had recently returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. There had been no public indication that he was unwell before the trip.

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Trump paid tribute to the South Carolina senator, describing him as “a true American patriot”.

Graham, who was elected to the US Senate in 2002, built a reputation as one of Congress’ strongest advocates for an assertive American foreign policy. He was a vocal supporter of Ukraine following Russia’s full scale invasion, consistently backing military aid to Kyiv and tougher sanctions against Moscow.

During his latest visit to Ukraine, Graham said he had been working on a revised Russia sanctions bill that would give Trump “the tools to end this war”.

Zelensky said he was “deeply saddened” by the senator’s death, noting that Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since the start of Russia’s invasion.

“He stood with our people when it was most needed,” Zelensky said. “America and the world have lost a determined leader.”

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Graham’s relationship with Trump evolved dramatically over the years.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, he was one of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics, calling him a “race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” and warning that nominating him would damage the Republican Party.

Following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, Graham declared on the Senate floor that he was breaking with Trump, saying, “Enough is enough.”

However, he later emerged as one of Trump’s closest political allies. He voted against convicting Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial and strongly backed his successful 2024 presidential campaign.

In a 2023 interview with the BBC, Graham acknowledged that Trump had “a dark side” but defended his presidency, pointing to his border policies, the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, and his appointment of conservative judges.

Throughout his career, Graham championed an interventionist foreign policy. He supported the Iraq War after the September 11 attacks and strongly opposed the 2021 withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, warning that it would weaken America’s global standing and embolden extremist groups.

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He was also among the US Senate’s strongest supporters of Israel.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister described Graham as one of Israel’s greatest friends, saying he believed the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable.

“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable,” Netanyahu said. “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends.”