Lindsey Graham, who served as U.S. Senator for South Carolina for 23 years, died Saturday at the age of 71. Preliminary reports from the Washington D.C. official medical examiner revealed on Sunday that he died from an “aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease.”
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” President Trump posted on Truth Social. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!”
Before his election as a U.S. Senator, Graham served in the United States Air Force as an active-duty lawyer for six years. He joined the Air Force Reserves in the 90s and retired in 2015 at the rank of Colonel.
The South Carolina native was a pillar of the Republican caucus in the Senate and a fierce foreign policy hawk, who frequently was willing to work across the aisle on various issues.
His most recent claim to fame amongst conservative circles was his performance during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings, where he defended Kavanaugh from the sexual assault allegations and helped to secure his nomination.
In 2018, Senator Lindsey Graham stepped up and pushed back in legendary fashion against the Democrats for orchestrating a “sham” hearing against Brett Kavanaugh. Graham rallied Republicans to fight back against this witch hunt and helped save the nomination:
“To my Republican…
— Pat Adams (@PatAdams96) July 12, 2026
Graham also spoke at The American Spectator’s 52nd Robert L. Bartley Gala back in 2019 as the keynote speaker. During his speech, the senator emphasized support for Trump and discussed the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh.
After the announcement of his death, Trump spoke in a handful of interviews in which he discussed his friendship and the legacy Graham left. “We lost a great man. He was a great man. He was a great politician, and he was a kind man… The real loser was the United States of America. We lost a great person, a kind person, a very smart person… Everything for him was about work. It was about loving the country,” Trump said on Fox News.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced that Sen. Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordon, will be his temporary replacement in the U.S. Senate. “To Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this. I got it.”
May Lindsey Graham rest in peace.
