An article summarized by CBS News:
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday evening at age 71 after what his office described as a brief and sudden illness. Preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said the cause of death was an aortic dissection brought on by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a condition involving a tear in the main artery from the heart. Graham had returned from a trip to Ukraine just hours earlier and was scheduled to appear on NBC's “Meet the Press” the following day. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Graham Saturday evening and that the senator had seemed tired but otherwise fine.
Leaders in the United States and abroad paid tribute to Graham, including Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Zelenskyy noted Graham's repeated visits to Ukraine during the war and his strong advocacy for the country's defense. Netanyahu called him “one of Israel's greatest friends,” while Trump praised him as a “true American patriot” who would be greatly missed.
Graham served in Congress for nearly three decades, first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate beginning in 2003. Known for his hawkish foreign policy views on Russia, Iran and national security, he was a close ally of Sen. John McCain and later became one of Trump's strongest supporters despite initially opposing his 2016 candidacy. Graham also played a major role in confirming Trump's Supreme Court nominees and was known for occasionally working across the aisle on bipartisan legislation. Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint an interim senator until a replacement is elected in the November 2026 midterm elections.
