U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died on the evening of Saturday, July 11, 2026, following a brief and sudden illness, as his office announced a short while ago.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away following a brief and sudden illness,” the statement reads, without providing further details on the cause of death.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates the prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this extremely difficult period,” his office added.

Statement from the Office of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). pic.twitter.com/CQ5yVvqTH1

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 12, 2026

His Career

Graham, who was first elected to the House in 1994 and to the Senate in 2002, was running for reelection this year.

Graham, 71, had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003 and was one of the Republican Party’s most recognizable figures.

Although he had initially been a vocal critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, he later became one of Trump’s closest political allies and supporters.

He had served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and played a leading role on critical issues of foreign policy, defense, and judicial appointments.

In recent years, he was particularly active on issues concerning Ukraine, the Middle East, and U.S. relations with China and Iran.

Graham was one of Ukraine’s most ardent supporters in the U.S. Congress.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Kyiv on July 10, 2026, during which they discussed strengthening sanctions against Russia and Ukraine’s urgent needs for air defense.

The Ukrainian President announced this via Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

“I had a good meeting with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Kyiv. This is already his 10th visit to our country, and we appreciate this support,” Zelenskyy said.

Known for his hardline stance on defense issues, Graham, as noted on his website, “has consistently pushed for results in the War on Terror that protect the long-term national security interests of the United States.”

He recently served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He has also served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Lindsey Graham on i24NEWS: “We will oppose the F-35 deal”

According to Graham, there are serious concerns in the U.S. Congress that, if Turkey acquires the F-35 fighter jets, Russia could gain access to sensitive information and technology related to the advanced aircraft through the close ties between Ankara and Moscow.

Graham has announced that he will oppose any attempt in Congress to sell F-35s to Turkey! The concerns center on the risk of classified technology leaking to Russia.

The issue of Russian S-400 missiles remains a key point of friction in relations between Washingtonand Ankara—and one of the main reasons Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program.

Herzog “Devastated” by the Death of Lindsey Graham

“Shocked and devastated” by the news of the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, as he paid tribute to a “great American patriot and a great friend of Israel.”
““Senator Graham was a beacon of morality and a true champion of U.S.-Israel cooperation,” Herzog wrote in a post on X. “We will never forget how he stood by the people of Israel during our most difficult moments, and we will remain eternally grateful for his sense of justice, truth, and dedication. The people of Israel mourn his loss. I will miss my great friend very much,” he added.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, also stated in a press release that the late senator “stood by Israel during its most difficult moments, worked tirelessly to strengthen the strategic alliance between Israel and the United States, and was an unwavering voice in support of Israel’s security and its right to defenditself.”

Source: Protothema.gr