Topline
President Donald Trump ordered flags to half mast after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a longtime Republican stalwart in the Senate who died on Saturday night following what his office called a “brief and sudden illness.”
The South Carolina senator’s office said the 71-year-old died after a “brief and sudden illness.”
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Key Facts
President Donald Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known,” as well as a “a true American Patriot”—years after Graham emerged as a close ally following staunch opposition to Trump during his first primary campaign in 2015 and 2016.
Graham was a mainstay on news programs and a major face of the Republican Party, and was scheduled for his 64th appearance on “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning.
Trump, who instead spoke to “Meet the Press,” said he spoke with Graham before his death, after the senator returned from a trip to Ukraine: “he sounded great actually, but he actually said he was tired.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Graham a “trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel,” praising him for his past leadership and offering “heartfelt condolences.”
Graham was famous for his hawkish views on foreign policy, backing military support for U.S. allies like Ukraine and Israel, and both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote long tributes to what the Ukrainian leader called “a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
Later on Sunday, former President Joe Biden, another longtime veteran of the Senate, noted he and Graham “disagreed often, and sometimes loudly” but praised him for belief in the “profound importance of public service” and his love for the Senate as an institution.
Kash Patel Says FBI ‘Assisting’ After Death
In one of the stranger tributes that came in on Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency was “assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available.” Law enforcement has not indicated any evidence of foul play in the senator’s death, and unnamed law enforcement sources later told CNN that police were only conducting a normal review that typically happens after a death is reported.
Process to Replace Graham Has Already Begun
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said his family was “devastated” and called Graham “irreplaceable” in a statement Sunday. South Carolina state law allows McMaster to immediately appoint a replacement for the rest of Graham’s term in office. Graham’s term is up in January, and he was running for reelection in November. Speaking to “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Trump said he already had a candidate in mind to fill the South Carolina seat. “It’s too soon with Lindsey,” the president said. “I don’t want to even talk about anybody. But I do have somebody that I think is really good.” Trump then heaped praise on McMaster, whom he said is “a really good governor, a really good guy,” adding, “he’s going to do the right thing, I think.” Other South Carolina Republicans also offered praise for Graham. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who announced her departure from Congress earlier this year in a failed bid to run for governor, wrote “whatever you thought of his politics, he carried a weight most people never have to carry.” However, Mace also faced blowback after posting a clip from “The Godfather: Part III,” featuring Al Pacino as Michael Corleone saying the famous line: “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” Mace told Fox News on Sunday she will “take a look” at running to fill Graham’s seat.
BILLIONAIRE WEIGHS IN ON GRAHAM’S DEATH
Outspoken billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman on Sunday reposted a video of Graham speaking in Ukraine the previous day, noting: “This doesn’t look like a guy who would die hours later,” without directly suggesting he believed conspiracy theories of foul play largely circulating on political fringe accounts.
What Was Graham’s Cause of Death?
Graham’s office only said the senator died from a “brief and sudden illness,” offering no further cause of death. His family asked for “privacy during this incredibly difficult time,” according to Graham’s office. EMS responded to a call of cardiac arrest at Graham’s home in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night, according to brief audio obtained by CNN and other outlets. Speaking to “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning, Trump speculated this must have happened shortly after his call with the senator. “It must have been right after that, because I understand the police or whoever it is came there at about 7:30-8:00 in the evening… so somebody notified them.” Trump seemed surprised about Graham’s death, noting “he was fine. I knew him well. He would let you know if he wasn’t feeling well.”
Trump Spoke To Graham Before His Death
Trump said Graham sounded “a little bit tired, but he had a right to be” after returning from his trip to Ukraine. The president said Graham wanted to keep working to pass the Save America Act, the controversial voter ID bill Trump is trying to push through the legislature. “He was like a member of the family to me, it’s very tough,” Trump said.