Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after sudden illness

By Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — US Sen. Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican from South Carolina and ally of President Donald Trump, has died “from a brief and sudden illness,” a spokesperson for his office told CNN.

First elected to the US Senate in 2002, Graham was running for a fifth term in this fall’s midterm elections. He turned 71 last week.

Graham began his political career in the early 90s after serving as a city and county attorney in South Carolina. He served in the US Air Force as a prosecutor and defense attorney for six years prior to that.

His early life was marked by the deaths of his mother and father within 15 months of each other when he was an undergraduate. Graham helped raise his then 13-year-old sister, Darline, and later adopted her.

Graham briefly ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2015 and was a Trump critic. Graham eventually became Trump’s close political ally during his first term and one of his most outspoken advocates.

Graham has served as the chairman of the highly influential Senate Judiciary Committee and the Budget Committee, though he was perhaps most known as a foreign policy hawk.

Serving in the Senate for more than two decades, Graham’s political career was marked by his close relationship to two giants in the Republican Party: Trump and the late-Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Trump paid tribute to Graham in post on his Truth Social platform early Sunday.

“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” the president wrote.

Graham’s spokesperson did not disclose further details about the senator’s illness.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the spokesperson said.

Tributes from lawmakers and international allies who worked closely with the Republican senator began pouring in the hours following the announcement of his death.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised Graham’s decades of military and public service and his belief in “the might of America to achieve good in the world.” “His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations,” Thune said in a statement.

House Republican Mario Díaz-Balart said he will miss working with the senator on their “shared passion, protecting our national security,” and praised Graham’s years of service “on behalf of the people of South Carolina and all Americans.”

Israeli leaders were among the first foreign officials to praise Graham’s legacy, reflecting his longstanding advocacy for Israel and close ties with its political leadership.

“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on X, adding Israel had lost “one of its greatest friends.”

“Senator Lindsey Graham stood with Israel not because it was easy, but because he believed it was right,” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote. “His unwavering support, courage, and moral clarity earned him the admiration of millions of Israelis.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Jedd Rosche and Matthew Rehbein contributed to this report.