Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 After Aorta Tear, Shaking Senate
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a hawkish foreign policy voice and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress, has died at age 71 after suffering an aortic dissection, according to preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia. His death, announced on July 12, has sent shockwaves through Washington and triggered a rapid succession process in his home state.
Graham died on Saturday, July 11, just two days after his 71st birthday. According to AP News, the tear in the inner wall of the aorta was related to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or hardening of the arteries. An official cause of death will be disclosed after toxicological and microscopic testing. An emergency phone call recorded a dispatch for cardiac arrest.
A Political Journey from Critic to Confidant
Graham served in the U.S. Senate for 23 years, from 2003 until his death, after four terms in the House of Representatives. A former U.S. Air Force lawyer who retired as a colonel in the Air National Guard, he rose to become chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and a pivotal figure in Republican politics.
His relationship with Donald Trump underwent a dramatic transformation. In 2016, Graham called Trump “unfit for office” and used profanity to describe him after Trump disparaged John McCain, Graham’s best friend in the Senate. Trump retaliated by reading Graham’s personal cellphone number at a campaign rally. Yet after Trump won the presidency, Graham became one of his closest allies — speaking with him frequently, golfing with him, and defending him during two impeachment trials.
CBS News reported that Graham once warned on social media that if Republicans nominated Trump, “we will get destroyed… and we will deserve it.” But he later mended the relationship, helping steer Trump’s Supreme Court picks — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — through contentious confirmation hearings. Graham briefly broke with Trump after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, declaring “Count me out. Enough is enough,” but soon returned to the president’s side.
Final Days in Ukraine and a Russia Sanctions Deal
Graham’s last days were characteristically active. He returned from his 10th wartime trip to Ukraine on Friday, July 10, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer,” Zelenskyy said in tribute.
That same Friday, Graham announced a bipartisan Russia sanctions deal with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, reached in coordination with the Trump administration. Blumenthal told the Associated Press that Graham was “absolutely focused on this moment” and expressed hope the senator’s memory would inspire passage of the legislation.
On Saturday evening, Graham spoke with President Trump by phone. Trump later told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Graham “sounded a little bit tired, but perfect.” Hours later, Graham died.
A Sister Steps In
Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, as his temporary replacement on Monday, July 13. Nordone, whom Graham raised as legal guardian after their parents died when he was in his early 20s, will serve the remainder of his term, which expires in January 2027. She is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate.
“Lindsey has always been there for me,” Nordone said at her appointment announcement, according to AP News. “And now, I will be there for him.”
A special primary election will be held on August 11 to select a new Republican nominee for the November 3 general election. Potential candidates include Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and Rep. Russell Fry. Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who has raised over $8 million, is the Democratic nominee.
Senate Fallout and Legislative Uncertainty
Graham’s death reduces the Republican majority to 52-47, with one vacancy, at a critical moment. The Senate was already struggling with the prolonged hospitalization of former Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has been recovering from pneumonia and a fall for nearly a month.
According to The Post and Courier, tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. President Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.” Former President Joe Biden, who often disagreed with Graham, said they “did agree on the profound importance of public service.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends.”
Graham was known for his personal friendships across the aisle — a style of politics increasingly rare in modern Washington. He was a key member of the “Three Amigos” alongside the late Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Joe Lieberman, traveling the globe to advocate for robust U.S. engagement abroad.
Legacy and What’s Next
As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham was central to Republican efforts to advance major legislation. His absence leaves a void not only in committee leadership but also as a bridge between Trump and Senate Republicans — a role Trump himself acknowledged, calling Graham “a temperature gauge of the Senate.”
The Russia sanctions package Graham championed now lacks its chief advocate. The Senate must also navigate confirmation battles, government funding negotiations, and an increasingly contentious relationship between Trump and his own party’s senators.
Graham’s death marks the end of an era for a traditional hawkish Republican internationalism at a time when the party is increasingly divided between interventionists and isolationists. For South Carolina, it opens a rare competitive Senate race that will test whether the state’s deep Republican lean remains unshakable.
Flags across the country will fly at half-staff until Saturday evening, as ordered by President Trump, as the nation mourns a senator who, in the words of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, made “this job richer and its burdens lighter.”