WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has died at the age of 71 following a brief and sudden illness, his office announced early Sunday .
The veteran lawmaker passed away on the evening of Saturday, July 11, his communications director confirmed in a statement . No additional details about the nature of the illness were immediately released.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement read .
Emergency personnel responded to a call for cardiac arrest at Graham’s Capitol Hill home on Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News. Paramedics were seen transporting an individual from his residence to an awaiting ambulance .
Graham had just returned from a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday . He had been scheduled to appear on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
A prominent Republican from South Carolina, Graham was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and was reelected in 2008, 2014, and 2020 . Prior to his Senate career, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing South Carolina’s third congressional district beginning in 1994 .
During his time in the Senate, Graham served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a member of the Senate Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees . He was known as a defense hawk who “consistently pushed for outcomes in the War on Terror that protect our long-term national security interests,” according to his official website .
His political trajectory was marked by a notable evolution in his relationship with President Donald Trump. Graham was initially a vocal critic of Trump before becoming one of his most loyal allies on Capitol Hill in recent years . He was also known as a staunch advocate for Israel and a hardliner on Iran .
Graham was unmarried and resided in Seneca, South Carolina . He was seeking a fifth Senate term in the upcoming November election at the time of his death .
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
