Lindsey Graham dies unexpectedly at 71
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died on Saturday night at the age of 71 after a sudden illness. The Republican lawmaker served in the Senate since 2003 and was known for his dramatic political evolution from an anti-Trump voice to one of the former president's most loyal supporters.
Graham, a former House member, was a foreign policy hawk and close friend of the late Senator John McCain. He mounted his own presidential run in 2015, positioning himself as a fierce critic of Donald Trump. He did not vote for Trump in 2016, backing independent candidate Evan McMullin instead. After Trump's victory, however, Graham gradually moved into Trump's inner circle, even after Trump insulted McCain both before and after his death. A brief estrangement over the January 6 Capitol attack and Trump's election subversion efforts was short-lived, and Graham soon returned to the golf course with Trump, becoming a vocal supporter of Trump's policies, including the war with Iran.
Graham's own words on his political journey
Reflecting on his childhood in his parents' bar, the Sanitary Café, Graham recalled: 'I would strut around the place, sometimes dressed as a cowboy – hat, vest and plastic six shooters. I might get up on the bar and walk up and down it while talking to folks. When customers went to the restroom, I might steal their beer and chug it. I might smoke their cigarette, too, if they left it burning in the ashtray.' He earned the nickname 'Stinkball' from patrons.
On his role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Graham said in 1998: 'Some people have said, “I won’t vote for impeachment.” Some House members have said, “I will not vote for an impeachment.” Let me tell you, please don’t say that until you understand what you’re voting on.'
From anti-Trump to Trump ally
During the 2016 campaign, Graham was scathing about Trump. In December 2015, he called Trump 'a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot' and said, 'You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.' By May 2016, Graham stated, 'If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.'
After Trump's election, Graham's tone shifted dramatically. In 2019, he told the New York Times: 'I went from, “OK, he’s president” to “How can I get to be in his orbit?” to “How can I have a say in what’s going to happen today, tomorrow and next week?”' He added, 'I personally like him. We play golf. He’s very nice to me.'
Following the January 6 Capitol riot, Graham initially distanced himself. He said on the Senate floor: 'Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. … All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.' Yet by May 2021, he told Fox News: 'Can we move forward without President Trump? The answer is no. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him.'
Graham's relationship with Trump and McCain
In June 2026, Graham said at a South Carolina event: 'Mr President, you’re not far behind God.' This remark underscored his complete alignment with Trump. Regarding John McCain, Graham expressed conflicting emotions. In 2018, he said: 'It bothers me greatly when the president says things about John McCain. It pisses me off to no end.' But by October 2018, he stated: 'I’m not living my life going forward around John McCain.'
Views on foreign policy and Iran
Graham was a staunch supporter of Israel and a hardliner on Iran. In 2015, he criticized the Obama administration's Iran arms deal, saying: 'Obama is dangerously naive about the Mideast. This decision is the biggest mistake any president of the United States could make.' In 2024, he posted on X: 'The Palestinians in Gaza are the most radicalised population on the planet who are taught to hate Jews from birth.'
In March 2026, he told the Associated Press: 'If the radical cleric in Iran had a nuclear weapon, he would use it just as certainly as Hitler were to use it. He would kill all the Jews, and we’re next.' He also threatened Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, saying on CBS's Face the Nation in June 2026: 'If Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, we will obliterate them.'
Graham's legacy and tributes
Tributes from Israel and Ukraine highlighted Graham's complicated, often bloody legacy. He was remembered as 'the fiercest of fighters' by politicians and foreign leaders. His sudden death at 71 leaves a void in the Senate and marks the end of a political career that mirrored the Republican party's transformation in the Trump era.
