The South Carolina Republican, a leading congressional ally of President Donald Trump and an influential voice on foreign policy, died days after his 71st birthday.

WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the veteran South Carolina Republican who became one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent congressional allies, died Saturday evening following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” He was 71.  

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” his office said in a statement released early Sunday.

No additional information about the illness or circumstances surrounding Graham’s death was immediately released. Reports attributing his death to a specific medical cause had not been confirmed by his family or office as of early Sunday.

Graham’s death came only three days after his July 9 birthday and less than two days after he appeared in Kyiv, Ukraine, during his 10th visit to the country. On Friday, Graham and a bipartisan group of senators announced that they had reached an agreement with the Trump administration to advance legislation imposing sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and natural gas.  

The proposed sanctions legislation had become one of Graham’s most significant final foreign-policy initiatives. Its earlier versions contemplated severe tariffs against countries buying Russian energy, potentially affecting major purchasers including India and China.

Graham had represented South Carolina in the Senate since January 2003 and was serving as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He also sat on the Senate Appropriations, Judiciary and Environment and Public Works committees. He previously chaired the Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021, overseeing major judicial confirmation battles during Trump’s first term.  

His death abruptly ends a congressional career spanning more than three decades.

Graham entered the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1993 before winning election to the U.S. House in 1994. He served four terms representing South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District and attracted national attention as one of the House managers prosecuting the impeachment case against President Bill Clinton.

He was elected to the Senate in 2002, succeeding longtime Sen. Strom Thurmond, and subsequently won reelection in 2008, 2014 and 2020. Graham had won South Carolina’s Republican primary in June and was campaigning for a fifth Senate term in November.  

Originally viewed as a close political partner of the late Sen. John McCain, Graham built a reputation as one of Washington’s most forceful advocates for an interventionist American foreign policy. He supported the Iraq War, favored increased military spending and consistently pushed for an aggressive U.S. posture toward Iran and Russia.

Graham sought the Republican presidential nomination during the 2016 election but withdrew before voting began. During that campaign, he was a fierce critic of Trump. After Trump entered the White House, however, Graham developed a close political relationship with him and became one of his most recognizable defenders in the Senate.

Their alliance made Graham a central figure in Republican politics, particularly on judicial nominations, national security, immigration and foreign affairs. He remained willing at times to break with Trump, particularly over support for Ukraine, while continuing to advocate for the president’s broader domestic agenda.

Before entering politics, Graham served as a lawyer in the U.S. Air Force. His military career included active-duty service, the South Carolina Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. He retired in 2015 at the rank of colonel after 33 years in uniform.  

Born in Central, South Carolina, Graham was raised by parents who operated a restaurant, bar and pool hall. He became the first member of his family to attend college, earning both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.

Under South Carolina law, the governor may appoint a temporary successor to a vacant U.S. Senate seat. That appointee may serve until Jan. 3 following the next general election, when voters choose a senator to fill the seat.  

Graham’s death leaves South Carolina without one of its longest-serving modern political figures and removes a major foreign-policy voice from the Senate at a consequential moment for the wars involving Russia, Ukraine and Iran.

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.