WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump paid tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday following the South Carolina Republican's death at age 71, describing one of his closest congressional allies as "a true American Patriot" and praising his years of service to the United States.
Trump announced his reaction in a post on Truth Social hours after Graham's office said the four-term senator had died on Saturday evening following a "brief and sudden illness." The office did not disclose the cause of death and asked for privacy for Graham's family.
"Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!" Trump wrote. "He was always working, and was a true American Patriot." Trump added that Graham would be "greatly missed," calling him one of the finest senators he had known.
Graham, who had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003 after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, became one of Trump's most influential allies despite having sharply criticized him during the 2016 Republican presidential primary campaign. The two later forged a close political partnership, with Graham emerging as a leading supporter of Trump's legislative agenda and a frequent adviser on foreign policy and judicial nominations.
The senator's office said only that Graham died after a "brief and sudden illness." No additional medical details were immediately released.
Tributes also came from U.S. lawmakers and foreign leaders who worked closely with Graham during his more than two decades in the Senate. Graham was widely known as a leading Republican voice on national security and foreign affairs and maintained strong relationships with leaders in Europe, Ukraine and Israel.
Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim senator to fill the vacancy until a special election is held in accordance with state election procedures. Officials had not announced a timetable for that process as of Sunday.
Graham had been seeking another Senate term in the 2026 midterm elections. His death leaves Republicans without one of Trump's most prominent advocates in Congress and creates an unexpected vacancy in South Carolina's Senate delegation.
