President Donald Trump has recounted what he described as his final exchange with Senator Lindsey Graham, saying the longtime Republican shared one last political priority before his sudden death Saturday night at 71.
Speaking Sunday morning on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said Graham was “like a member of the family” to him and confirmed the two men had spoken by phone the night before.
According to Trump, Graham phoned to talk about advancing the SAVE America Act, legislation the South Carolina senator had co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate.
“He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, ‘Well, we’re going to get it done, Lindsey. We’re going to get it done. I’ll see you, like, soon,’” Trump said during the Meet the Press interview.
The SAVE America Act has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on three occasions, but it has yet to win approval in the Senate, where the filibuster means it would need 60 votes to advance.
In a separate Sunday appearance on CNN, Trump told anchor Jake Tapper that he viewed Graham’s standout moment in the Senate as his forceful defense of Brett Kavanaugh during the confirmation battle that ultimately placed Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.
Graham’s office, noting that he had represented South Carolina since 2002, announced early Sunday that the senator “had passed away from a brief and sudden illness.”
Multiple reports said a 911 call citing “cardiac arrest” was made from Graham’s home at about 8:30 p.m., though authorities have not confirmed an official cause of death.
US Senator Lindsey Graham has died aged 71 from a ‘brief and sudden illness’
Graham was a close political ally of Donald Trump, who last year called the senator ‘a wonderful friend.’ Graham is pictured with Trump at a 2020 rally
Trump had earlier shared a tribute to the late Senator on Truth Social shortly after the announcement was made.
‘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!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Graham was one of Trump’s closest allies in the US Senate, consistently voting to enact the president’s agenda.
The senator was also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and Israel, and he advised the president on foreign policy matters pertaining to Russia and Iran.
In late March 2025, just a little more than a month after Trump took office, the president posted a lengthy endorsement of Graham, referring to the senator as ‘a wonderful friend.’
An ambulance and fire truck transported Graham to George Washington Hospital’s emergency room on Saturday night
Graham has likewise called Trump a friend. He is pictured with the president during a campaign stop in 2023
Trump posted this tribute to Graham shortly after the senator’s office announced his death
‘Lindsey has been a wonderful friend to me, and has always been there when I needed him. As the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Lindsey is fighting tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Lower Taxes, and Eliminate Government Waste,’ Trump wrote.
‘Lindsey is also relentlessly focused on helping us Secure the Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strongly Support our Great Military/Vets, Promote American Energy DOMINANCE, defend our always under siege Second Amendment, and ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,’ the president added.
The endorsement is still pinned on Graham’s official X account. The senator had replied to it by thanking the president and likewise referring to him as a friend.
‘On a professional level, I am proud to have been there at the beginning when President Trump — through sheer force of will —achieved the greatest political comeback in American history,’ Graham replied to the endorsement in part.
‘On a personal level, I genuinely enjoy our friendship. He’s an awesome golfing buddy, who I have yet to beat,’ the senator added.
Graham’s death comes just days after he visited Ukraine and met with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion.
His meeting with the leader of Ukraine is understood to be the last public image of him. There were no known concerns about his health in the lead-up to his trip to the embattled nation.
Graham later announced that an agreement had been reached with Trump to advance bipartisan legislation targeting countries buying Russian energy, which would potentially clear the way for stronger pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Graham’s death comes just days after he visited Ukraine and met with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The two are pictured together during that meeting
Graham had been in Ukraine to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion and announced that an agreement had been reached to advance legislation targeting countries buying Russian energy
Earlier this year, Graham called Trump ‘an awesome golfing buddy, who I have yet to beat.’ The two are pictured golfing together in November 2025
Most recently, he served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Graham also cheered on Trump’s decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites last year and had been a supporter of the latest conflict that started a few months ago.
The leaders of Israel and Ukraine publicly mourned Graham shortly after his death was announced, reflecting the senator’s avid support for both countries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X: ‘Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.
‘Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world.’
Zelensky wrote on social media following Graham’s death: ‘A staunch advocate for bipartisan and bicameral support for Ukraine, in recent weeks, he had been working on important initiatives that could help bring peace closer, including stronger sanctions against Russia.
‘We will always be especially grateful for the recognition of our people and words of admiration for the courage of Ukraine’s defenders. America and the world have lost a determined leader.’
Former President George Bush also released a statement saying he and his wife were ‘saddened’ by the ‘shocking news of Senator Lindsey Graham’s death.’
Graham was an avid supporter of Israel, and the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the death of the senator on social media. The two are pictured shaking hands
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a vyshyvanka, a traditional Slavic embroidered shirt, to Graham during his recent visit. Zelensky also mourned Graham online
‘He was a knowledgeable senator who understood how the world works and how important America’s international engagement is to resist tyranny. He was a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it,’ Bush wrote.
‘South Carolina was fortunate to have such a committed public servant in its corner. And I was fortunate to have known Lindsey Graham,’ the former president added.
Before serving in the Senate, Graham was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994.
For decades, his status as a long-term bachelor who never married or had children fueled rumours about his sexuality, though he consistently and firmly denied being gay and regularly opposed pro-LGBTQ+ legislation.
As a member of the House in the 1990s, he backed policies aimed at isolating Iran and limiting its missile and nuclear programs.
Graham also served in the United States Air Force with a six-and-a-half-year stint on active duty as an Air Force lawyer.
He then went on to join the South Carolina Air National Guard until 1995, during which time he was called to active duty in the Gulf War.
He enlisted in the Air Force reserves, where he achieved the rank of Colonel before he retired in June 2015.
Born in July 1955 in Central, Pickens County, Graham came from humble beginnings and was the first member of his family to go to college.
He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina and was a practising Baptist.
