US Senator Lindsey Graham, staunch Trump supporter, dead at 71

"On the evening of Saturday, July 11, US Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness," the statement read.

"Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period," it added.

Statement from the Office of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). pic.twitter.com/CQ5yVvqTH1

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 12, 2026

Graham, 71 at the time of his passing, was a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina. A faithful ally of US President Donald Trump on most matters, in 2025, he had sponsored the Russia sanctions bill, warning countries that imported oil from Russia — specifically India, China and Brazil — of steep tariffs.

'One of the greatest people': Donald Trump

Soon after Graham's death, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to mourn the loss, referring to him as "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known."

"He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!President DONALD J. TRUMP," Trump wrote over the post.

Israel mourns the loss

Israel's top officials, including President ​Isaac ⁠Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, ‌Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and former Prime ⁠Minister Naftali ⁠Bennett, offered their condolences following ​Graham's death.

Over separate X posts, they called Graham as ‌"a ​true ​friend ​of the State of Israel" and ​one of ⁠its strongest supporters.

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Israeli Defence Minister Katz took to X to share the Senator's steadfast support for Israel. He wrote: "His repeated visits during one of the darkest chapters in Israel's history reflected his deep commitment to the Jewish state and its right to live in peace and security."

He also called Graham "an exceptional leader, a man of principle, and a dear friend whose legacy will endure for generations."

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, a true friend of the State of Israel and one of its strongest and most steadfast supporters.

Throughout the years, Senator Graham stood with Israel in its most difficult moments, worked tirelessly to strengthen the… pic.twitter.com/B6gxcZ2Dwo

— ישראל כ"ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 12, 2026

Moreover, Israeli President Isaac Herzog remembered him as a "beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the US-Israel partnership."

Who was Lindsey Graham?

Graham, a former US Air Force officer and attorney, entered the US Senate in 2002, his website stated. Before serving in the upper house, he was elected ⁠to the ⁠US House of Representatives in 1994 for South Carolina's third ⁠congressional district, ‌it added.

He was recently appointed as the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, as well as the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary between 2019 and 2021. Graham had also served as a member of the USAF Reserve during his time in the Congress, holding the rank of colonel after he retired in 2015.

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A presidential hopeful, who sought the Republican nomination in 2016, Graham had criticised Trump's candidacy at the time. However, he changed tracks after Trump entered the White House.

Earlier this year, Graham had called for rejecting Pakistan as the mediator for talks in West Asia, declaring that he doesn't "trust" Islamabad, and suggested that Washington should look for an alternative mediator in order to have truce with Iran.

The Republican senator's remarks came after an earlier CBS News report cited US officials and stated that Pakistan allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields such as Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan amid the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.