Claims circulating online that U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham had unexpectedly died prompted a wave of reaction on social media, including some harsh commentary from critics. However, there is no verified public confirmation that Graham has died.
The posts alleged that Graham’s office had announced early Sunday that the South Carolina Republican “had passed away from a brief and sudden illness.” As of now, no such verified statement has been confirmed through official Senate channels or Graham’s publicly recognized accounts.
Some reports also claimed that a 911 call for “cardiac arrest” had been placed from Graham’s residence around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. No official cause of death has been confirmed, and the underlying claim remains unverified.
Despite the lack of confirmed information, the claim quickly spread online, with users across the political spectrum responding as though the news were true. Several posts also suggested that prominent political figures and international leaders had issued condolences, though those claims have not been independently substantiated.
Among the reactions cited online was a post attributed to Ana Kasparian, co-host and executive producer of The Young Turks, a progressive media network known for its left-wing political commentary.
The post, reportedly published on X around 2:35 a.m., read: “Good riddance.” The timing and context of the post could not be independently verified from the information provided.
Another widely shared reaction was attributed to Kyle Kulinski, host of the left-leaning podcast Secular Talk, who was said to have written: “Miserable closet case warmonger.”
The remark appeared to reference long-running speculation about Graham’s sexuality, speculation the senator has repeatedly denied. Graham, who has never married or had children, has also drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates over his record opposing certain pro-LGBTQ+ legislation.
US Senator Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died aged 71 on Saturday evening. In the hours after the announcement, far-left pundits immediately began celebrating his death
Ana Kasparian, co-host and executive producer of the far-left media network the Young Turks, celebrated the news of Graham’s death just 30 minutes after it was announced
Hasan Piker, a socialist political commentator with a huge following on social media, called Graham a ‘bloodthirsty odious monster’ on Sunday
Hasan Piker, a socialist commentator and streamer with an enormous following online, wrote on X: ‘Lindsey graham was a bloodthirsty odious monster who loved war.’
‘Ironic that he achieved his best friend john mccains dream of bombing iran, only to experience the spectacular failure it turned into in his final days! he watched a century of force projection capabilities collapse,’ Piker added.
Earlier, he replied ‘lmao [laughing my a** off]’ to a tweet mourning Graham’s death that was posted by Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Brian Krassenstein, another leftist political commentator and vocal critic of Trump, posted a tweet that said: ‘Lindsey Graham just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead.
‘He can no longer hurt innocent people! There are clearly a lot of emotions being flung around about Graham dying so suddenly. He was a war monger and diehard Trump Supporter until the very end of his 71 year life.’
Jackson Hinkle, the international secretary for the American Communist Party, posted to his nearly four million followers on X: ‘Lindsey Graham advocated for dropping nuclear bombs on Gaza RIP BOZO.’
Steve Schmidt, co-founder of an anti-Trump political action committee called the Lincoln Project, posted a tweet that said: ‘Lindsey Graham was a simple, tragic man.
‘He lacked a moral core. The great empty spaces of his life were filled with an insatiable need for “relevance.” He found it as a cast member in the most malignant reality show ever made.’
Kasparian’s tweet celebrating Graham’s death is pictured. The celebratory statements of many other influential voices on the far left are pictured below
Although Graham was a controversial figure to some, he was beloved by Trump as one of the president’s closest allies in the Senate. The two are pictured at a campaign rally in 2020
Mike Drucker, an Emmy-nominated writer, producer and comedian, wrote on X: ‘RIP Lindsey Graham. You taught me it was okay to be a coward whose only skill is debasing myself until death for a tiny, ultimately illusionary crumb of power.’
Graham was a controversial figure because of his staunch support of Israel, even as public opinion towards the country declined in recent years. The senator was also steadfast in his support of Ukraine, and he was an Iran hawk.
Graham’s calls to arm Ukraine and Israel, as well as his aggressive stance on Iran, are what led critics, including some on the extreme right, to call him a warmonger.
But the senator was beloved by many Republicans, including Trump. Graham was one of the president’s closest allies in the US Senate, consistently voting to enact Trump’s agenda.
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’s death comes just days after he visited Ukraine and met with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. He is pictured during that meeting
Graham was also steadfast in his support of Israel, even as public opinion towards the country declined in recent years. He is pictured with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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.
The senator 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.
