Long-time Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71

Lindsey Graham died on Saturday night (US time) at his home on Capitol Hill, according to his office. The cause of death is reported to be a brief and sudden illness. Graham, a leading GOP foreign policy voice, had been a staunch ally of President Donald Trump on most matters but had broken with the president on some issues.

His office released a statement saying, 'Senator Graham has passed away from a brief and sudden illness. His family appreciates prayers and asks for privacy.' Emergency medical responders worked to stabilise Graham at his home and transport him to a hospital, but it was too late.

Graham was a prominent figure in US politics for decades, particularly on foreign policy matters. He travelled frequently to conflict zones, including Iraq and Ukraine. Graham was also a key negotiator on foreign policy, defence, immigration, and health care bills. He led the Senate's Budget Committee and the appropriations subcommittee that oversees foreign policy spending.

As chairman of the Judiciary Committee during Trump's first administration, Graham played a key role in confirming conservative judges and remaking the federal courts. He presided over the controversial October 2020 confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, which came three weeks before that year's presidential election.

Graham's death narrows Republicans' majority in the Senate, where they had held a 53-47 edge. Under South Carolina law, the state's Republican governor can make an immediate appointment to fill Graham's seat for the remainder of his term, which expires in January.

The governor, Henry McMaster, said in a statement that Graham was 'the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend.' In a social media post, Trump praised Graham as a 'true American Patriot' and said details on funeral arrangements would follow.

A US senator since 2002, Graham has been a prominent figure in US politics for decades. A recent visit to Ukraine saw him meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, where they discussed new sanctions on Russia to end the ongoing war with Ukraine. Graham had told reporters in Kyiv on Friday that a bipartisan group of senators had reached an agreement with the White House to impose new sanctions.

Possible successors to Graham in South Carolina include businessman Mark Lynch, who was the runner-up in last month's Senate GOP primary. Lynch received about 29 per cent of the vote, with Graham receiving about 57 per cent. Other GOP candidates for the seat include Paul Dans, who served in the first Trump administration and helped devise the Heritage Foundation's 'Project 2025' agenda that has influenced the president's second term.

Democrats have nominated Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, for the seat. Graham's death comes as Republicans in the Senate were already facing the expected absence of Senator Mitch McConnell, who has been hospitalised since last month but has shared few updates on his condition.