US Senator Lindsey Graham passes away at 71 from a brief and sudden illness

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham passed away on Saturday (local time) from a brief and sudden illness, his office announced on Sunday.

In a post on X, Graham's office announced his demise and wrote, "Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period."

On Saturday night, emergency personnel responded to a call for "cardiac arrest" at Graham's Capitol Hill home, NBC News reported. He was last seen in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, before returning to Washington on Friday, where he was scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning.

Graham, 71, was a prominent Republican senator from South Carolina, Reuters reported, adding that earlier in his career, he was a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump before becoming one of his most loyal allies on Capitol Hill.

Here's what we know about Lindsey Graham

Born on 9 July 1955 in Central, South Carolina, Lindsey Olin Graham was the son of Millie and Florence James “F. J.” Graham, who ran a bar-restaurant in the small town southwest of Greenville, Bloomberg reported. He became the first member of his family to attend college. He attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in psychology and a JD in law.

He served six and a half years on active duty as a lawyer with the US Air Force. From 1984 to 1988, he was stationed overseas at Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Germany. After leaving active duty in 1989, he joined the South Carolina Air National Guard, where he served until 1995.

Graham was called to active duty in the early 1990s after the first Gulf War broke out. He served at McEntire Air National Guard Base in South Carolina. He was a harsh critic of Iran and supported strong military action against Tehran. Graham was also among the Senate's staunchest backers of Ukraine, traveling to Kyiv 10 times during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

According to his website, the veteran Republican lawmaker was elected to the US Senate in 2002. Before that, he served as a House member from 1995 to 2003 and as a South Carolina state lawmaker. He also chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021 and was most recently chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

A defense hawk, his website said he had "consistently pushed for outcomes in the War on Terror that protect our long-term national security interests."

Graham has also been a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. He was not married and lived in Seneca, South Carolina.

The lawmaker had been locked in a battle for re-election as he sought a fifth term in a typically conservative southern state. He won his primary election on 9 June.

According to Bloomberg, one of Graham's final legislative initiatives involved joining a bipartisan group of senators that said last week it had reached an agreement with the Trump administration on imposing fresh sanctions against Russia. The proposed measures are aimed at increasing economic pressure on the Kremlin to end its war in Ukraine.

Trump condoles Graham's death

The US President on Sunday (local time) offered his condolences on the death of Graham. In a Truth Social post, he wrote, "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!"

(with agency inputs)