President Trump honored Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) as a “true American Patriot” following the veteran lawmaker’s death Saturday at age 71.
“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,” Trump wrote early Sunday in a post on Truth Social.
“Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Trump added that information about Graham’s funeral plans and related arrangements would be announced in the days ahead.
Graham’s office confirmed his death in a statement shared on social media, saying the South Carolina senator “passed away from a brief and sudden illness.”
Graham served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 until his death, following an earlier tenure representing South Carolina in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
During Trump’s first term, Graham chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021 and later emerged as one of the president’s most prominent allies on Capitol Hill, including recently supporting the administration’s strikes on Iran.
Trump and Graham’s political relationship evolved significantly over time, shifting from sharp public tension to a close alliance.
Graham was one of Trump’s sharpest Republican critics during the 2016 presidential campaign and even ran against him for the GOP nomination.
After the 2016 election, however, the two became close political allies, with Graham emerging as an outspoken defender of Trump in the Senate.
Graham stood firmly behind Trump during both of the president’s impeachment trials, voting to acquit him each time.
After Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Graham backed Trump’s efforts to challenge the results in several battleground states.
He also campaigned with Trump during the 2024 presidential race and was a key Trump ally on foreign policy and national security.
In recent months, Graham was one of the strongest Republican voices backing Trump’s decision to strike Iran, arguing the military action was necessary to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
