Graham died shortly after returning from Ukraine, one of his many trips there.
Source: CNN
US Sen. Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican from South Carolina and ally of President Donald Trump, has died “from a brief and sudden illness,” a spokesperson for his office told CNN.
Graham served in the US Senate for over two decades, making a name for himself as a foreign policy hawk who advocated for military intervention in Iran and Iraq and was a leading voice for the unwavering US support for Israel and Ukraine. His political career was intrinsically connected to his close relationship to two giants in the Republican Party: first with the late-Sen. John McCain of Arizona and then with Trump, whom he was initially critical of before becoming one of his most outspoken advisers.
Emergency responders were dispatched to a DC address for Graham around 8:30 p.m. for a report of someone suffering from chest pains, according to audio of the dispatch on Broadcastify. The audio indicates someone had called in from Baltimore and was on the way to the home.
The dispatcher said the caller believed the door was unlocked, though emergency responders said it was deadbolted, according to the audio. About 25 minutes later, they reported that CPR was in progress, the audio shows.
Graham died shortly after returning from a visit to Ukraine – one of many he made after the Russian invasion in 2022.
First elected to the US Senate in 2002, Graham was running for a fifth term in this fall’s midterm elections. He turned 71 last week.
Statement from the Office of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). pic.twitter.com/CQ5yVvqTH1
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 12, 2026
