Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies Suddenly At 71: Trump, Others React

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died after a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday night, his office confirmed in a statement, prompting tributes Sunday morning as top Republicans and other leaders mourn a senator who wielded a major influence on national and international politics.

President Donald Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known,” as well as a “a true American Patriot”—years after Graham emerged as a close ally following staunch opposition to Trump during his first primary campaign in 2015 and 2016.

Graham was a mainstay on news programs and a major face of the Republican Party, and was scheduled for his 64th appearance on “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning.

Trump, who instead spoke to “Meet the Press,” said he spoke with Graham before his death, after the senator returned from a trip to Ukraine: “he sounded great actually, but he actually said he was tired.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Graham a “trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel,” praising him for his past leadership and offering “heartfelt condolences.”

Graham was famous for his hawkish views on foreign policy, backing military support for U.S. allies like Ukraine and Israel, and both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote long tributes to what the Ukrainian leader called “a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated.