US senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham dies after 'brief and sudden illness' - BBC News

Donald Trump paid tribute to the 71-year-old South Carolina senator, calling him a "true American patriot" who will be "greatly missed".

Image source, Getty ImagesByGabriela PomeroyPublished12 July 2026, 07:24 BSTUpdated 19 minutes agoRepublican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 71. He died on Saturday evening following a "brief and sudden illness", according to his office.

Elected to the Senate in 2002, the South Carolina politician was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.

Donald Trump said Graham was a "true American Patriot" who would be "greatly missed".

Graham had just returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. There were no known health concerns ahead of his trip.

Graham was a staunch supporter of arming Kyiv and applying sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky said in a post on X, external that he was "deeply saddened" by his death.