Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham dead
Senator Lindsey Graham in his home state of South Carolina in March. Photo: Meg Kinnard/AP/TT
US Senator Lindsey Graham has died, his office announced.
"One of the best people and senators I have ever known," President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Trump-loyal Republican died after a sudden illness, according to a statement published on his X account. He was 71 years old.
According to NBC News, paramedics were called to Graham's home on Saturday evening. As recently as Friday, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.
Lindsey Graham took office as a member of the US Senate for the state of South Carolina in 2003. He was one of President Trump's most loyal supporters.
Many visits to Ukraine
“He always worked and was a true American patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”, the president writes on Truth Social.
During the Ukraine war, Graham has acted as a US envoy. He has visited the war-torn country several times and pressed for increased sanctions and pressure on Russia.
“We appreciate his support”, Volodymyr Zelenskyj wrote on X on Friday, after meeting Graham in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
Israeli condolences
The senator has also been one of the most outspoken advocates of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
– If Iran challenges US control of the Strait of Hormuz, we will destroy them, he said two weeks ago on CBS News “Face the Nation”.
Graham understood that the security of the US and Israel cannot be separated, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after the senator’s death.
“Israel has lost one of its best friends,” he said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.
Graham was a member of the House of Representatives before becoming a senator. In 2015, he attempted to become the Republican presidential nominee in the 2016 election, but dropped out. The 2016 election was won by Donald Trump.
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