Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died late Saturday night, quite suddenly, apparently after a brief illness. It’s absolutely shocking news, especially because there were no prior indications of him being in poor health.
His official Twitter/X account announced it.
Graham was an important and influential member of the Senate GOP, and also a great ally and friend of President Trump.
NBC News reports:
Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after ‘brief and sudden illness’Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was elected to the Senate in 2003 and was a close political ally of President Donald Trump, has died, his office confirmed early Sunday. He was 71.Graham died Saturday night “from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement.“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement continued.Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was seeking a fifth six-year Senate term in November. He was one of the most well-known members of the chamber and a key voice within the party on defense and international affairs.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.Photographs reviewed by NBC News show that paramedics carried a person on a stretcher from Graham’s home to an awaiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also on site.Graham was fresh off a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. He had been scheduled to appear on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
More from CBS News:
The prominent senator had been on a visit to Ukraine on Friday, where he met with President Zelensky.Graham was born in Central, South Carolina, on July 9, 1955. He attended University of South Carolina for his undergraduate degree and stayed on for a law degree. After a stint in the military and a few years of private law practice, he served one term in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Two years later, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing South Carolina’s Third District.In 2002, he ran for the Senate seat once occupied by Strom Thurmond, and twice won reelection in 2008 and 2014 by robust margins. And even in 2014 when outside conservative groups threatened him with a primary challenge for his role in the 2013 immigration debate, no serious challenger emerged on the Republican stage.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster released this statement.
President Trump also released a statement.
Simply stunning news.
Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.
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