Lindsey Graham’s sudden death sends shockwaves through Congress as politicians mourn and mull his replacement – live

South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, has the political decision of a lifetime with the unexpected death in office of Senator Lindsey Graham. The Republican governor and loyalist of Donald Trump will appoint a new senator to serve out the remainder of Graham’s term, which ends on 3 January.

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Whoever McMaster appoints will likely have a leg up in a special primary election on 11 August to fill Graham’s place on the November ballot, which he won despite facing five challengers from his party in June. That election calendar favors candidates with wide name recognition and deep institutional support.

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The candidate would still run against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who gained significant support in the red state, but still faces an uphill challenge.

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Congressman Joe Wilson has reportedly expressed interest in the seat. Of the Republican delegation to Washington, Wilson is the longest tenured. He has represented South Carolina’s second congressional district since 2001, and his activism within the state’s Republican party predates its dominance in the state’s politics.

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Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman, came in second with 29% of the vote. Lynch was a critic of Graham’s posture toward federal spending, immigration, and budget issues.

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Congressman Ralph Norman, who placed third in the Republican gubernatorial primary, has also entered speculation as a successor to Graham, as has Nancy Mace, the ultraconservative congresswoman who came in fifth in a bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

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Lindsey’s Graham’s death comes at a perilous time for Senate Republicans, who face a series of legislative priorities pushed by Donald Trump with the August recess just weeks away, Politico notes.

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They now have it all to do with an even tighter margin, as the mystery around Mitch McConnell’s health deepens – with no indication of when he might return to Congress – the GOP’s Senate majority stands at 52-47.

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Graham’s absence will be felt most immediately by acting attorney general Todd Blanche, who is gearing up for his confirmation hearing before the Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday and was counting on Graham’s crucial vote to see him through. Blanche now faces an uphill battle to prevent even one Republican defection from tanking his entire bid.

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The South Carolina Republican was also a crucial voice backing Trump’s authority to continue his war on Iran without congressional approval. Democrats will be pushing back hard on the war over the next few weeks, Politico reported yesterday.

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That’s on top of the annual defense policy bill and the supplemental Iran war funding that Trump has been pushing for, which Graham had supported. Senate GOP leaders will also need to replace Graham as chair of the budget committee and fill his vacancy on the appropriations committee.

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  Tributes have been pouring in this morning as Washington reels from the sudden death of controversial Republican senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, at the age of 71. Graham died on Saturday evening after a “brief and sudden illness”, according to a statement from his office, which gave no further details. Citing police scanner audio, the Washington Post reported that emergency medical services received a call at about 8.30pm on Saturday regarding a person suffering chest pains at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill. About 25 minutes later, per the Post, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and a man was suffering cardiac arrest. There had been no known concerns over the health of Graham, who celebrated his birthday last Thursday and had just returned from a visit to Ukraine.

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  Donald Trump praised Graham, one of his closest allies, as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and said he had spoken to him on the phone shortly before his death. Graham in many ways embodied the evolution of the Republican party, morphing from a fierce critic of Trump into one of his greatest political cheerleaders once he entered the White House. He was also one of the most influential figures in Washington on foreign affairs, advising Trump on major issues including his war on Iran and Russia. “He was like a member of the family,” Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press, adding that they had talked about Graham’s efforts to rally support for the Save America Act in that final phone call.

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  Graham had made a name for himself as a foreign policy hawk – notably as a leading voice in Congress for support for Ukraine and Israel, whose dignitaries led global tributes today. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had just met with Graham on Friday, said he was “deeply saddened” by his death and that the world had lost “a determined leader” and a “true defender of freedom”. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “lost one of its greatest friends”, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said the news had left him “shocked and heartbroken”.

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  Tributes poured in across Washington, from members of the Trump administration to Graham’s colleagues in Congress and in South Carolina. Several senators have called for the Russia sanctions package, which Graham had worked on for months and received the green light from Trump on Friday, to be passed when lawmakers return this week in his memory. A fierce backer of Trump’s war on Iran, Graham’s absence will also be felt as the ceasefire collapses and fighting starts up again.

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  Graham’s death will also impact the Senate and November’s midterm elections. Per state law, South Carolina’s governor may appoint a temporary replacement, but as Graham was up for re-election this year, there will also be a special primary election on 11 August to replace him on the ballot (and a run-off, if necessary, on 25 August). Trump said he had someone in mind to succeed Graham but said it was “too soon” after his death to say.

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Vice-president JD Vance has now shared this tribute to Lindsey Graham:

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Lindsey Graham came from humble beginnings and became one of the most powerful lawmakers in the most powerful nation on Earth. His story was a fundamentally American one.

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Early in my Senate tenure, I remember getting into a shouting match with Lindsey about a Ukraine funding bill at lunch and then learning the very next day that he was pushing rail legislation I really cared about behind the scenes. That was Lindsey Graham. He fought like hell for the things he believed in, and he was just as willing to go to bat for you when it counted.

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Lindsey had the best sense of humor in the Senate. He loved the game of politics. He was constantly asking which races were up and down, and how he could help. As he liked to say, ‘I don’t care if you’re an isolationist or a religious fanatic, so long as you have an R next to your name, I want you to win.’

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We certainly had our disagreements. But I couldn’t help but like him. A one of a kind figure in our politics. I’ll be praying for him and his family.

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On that, Donald Trump said he has someone in mind for serving the remainder of Graham’s term in Congress.

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“I have somebody that I think would be great, but I don’t want to say it now because it just, you know, it’s too soon with Lindsey,” Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press.

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“They’ll have some people joining. Some are good, some are bad,” he said. “I never thought I’d be in this position. I thought Lindsey was going to be living forever … He was going to win by a lot.”

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Donald Trump has said that he spoke to Lindsey Graham on Saturday night shortly before he died.

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The president told NBC’s Meet the Press that Graham called him yesterday evening after he got back from Ukraine and said, “we’re all set for the Save America Act.”

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“What makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night, sometime you know the early evening, maybe in the sevens, and he called and he said we’re all set for the Save America Act. He was pushing the Save America Act like crazy,” Trump said.

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“He said he’d just landed from Ukraine … he said he was tired,” Trump recalled, adding that he later got a message from someone at Graham’s office around 1am informing him that he had died. “I can’t believe it,” Trump said of his reaction, “he was like a member of the family.”

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He said that at the end of the call he had told Graham: “We’ll see you soon. Come over anytime you want.”

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“He came into the White House a lot because I liked him. Can’t do that with everybody,” Trump added.

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It is telling that the leaders of Israel were also among the first foreign dignitaries to pay tribute to Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s staunchest defenders in Congress.

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Graham championed billions of dollars in security assistance and defence funding for Israel, made multiple trips to the region after the October 7 2023 attacks, and fiercely defended Israel diplomatically as it stands accused of committing genocide in Gaza. He was also a strong backer of Trump’s war against Iran.

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Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had lost “one of its greatest friends”. In a statement released by his office, the Israeli prime minister said:

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In our recent meeting, I said, ‘Lindsey is a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine. We have no better friend than Lindsey.’ Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable.

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He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world. Israel has lost one of its greatest friends.

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Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, said the news had left him “shocked and heartbroken”. He wrote on X:

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I am shocked and heartbroken to learn of the sudden passing of the great American patriot, a great friend of Israel, and my dear friend US Senator Lindsey Graham.

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Senator Graham was a beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the US-Israel partnership. We will never forget how he stood by the people of Israel in our most difficult moments, and we will remain eternally grateful for his sense of justice, truth, and loyalty.

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The people of Israel mourn his loss, and I will miss my great friend very dearly.

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My thoughts are with Lindsey’s family and friends at this tragic time. May he rest in peace.

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Graham with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on 16 February.”,”caption”:”Lindsey Graham with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on 16 February.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Maayan Toaf/Israel Gpo/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1783861937000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.12 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1783871090000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”11.44 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1783862742000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”09.25 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”09.25″,”title”:”‘Israel has lost one of its greatest friends’: Israeli politicians pay tribute to one of its staunchest allies in Washington”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 12 Jul 2026 14.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Jul 2026 08.32 EDT”},{“id”:”6a538e678f0804ac7befeafa”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Lindsey Graham made a name for himself with his work on foreign policy and was a leading voice in Washington advocating for the US to support Ukraine, urging both the Trump and Biden administrations to back Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

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Just last week, he had visited Ukraine. Following their last meeting on Friday – which would also turn out to be Graham’s final public appearance – Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media: “I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors.” Graham died the next day.

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Paying tribute today, Zelenskyy said he was “deeply saddened” by Graham’s death and that the world had lost “a determined leader” and a “true defender of freedom”. He wrote on X:

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Deeply saddened by the news of the passing of United States Senator Lindsey Graham. Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.

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He visited Ukraine ten times during the years of Russia’s full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed. We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations. We met twice in just the past week.

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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.

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America and the world have lost a determined leader.

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Our condolences go out to Lindsey’s family, loved ones, and everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him.

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Zelenskyy and Lindsey Graham in Kyiv on Friday.”,”caption”:”Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Lindsey Graham in Kyiv on Friday.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1783860839000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”08.53 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1783861918000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”09.11 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1783861436000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”09.03 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”09.03″,”title”:”‘True defender of freedom’: Zelenskyy pays tribute to Graham’s support of Ukraine”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 12 Jul 2026 14.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Jul 2026 08.32 EDT”},{“id”:”6a538bf58f0804ac7befeae9″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Lindsey Graham grew up in Central, a small town in South Carolina, where his parents ran a restaurant and pool hall. He was the first member of his family to go to college, earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.

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He served as an air force lawyer then joined the South Carolina Air National Guard. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and was a manager during Bill Clinton’s 1999 impeachment trial.

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Elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham carved out a reputation as one of Capitol Hill’s most outspoken foreign policy hawks. He supported the US war in Iraq and had long urged military action in Iran. He opposed the nuclear agreement negotiated by Barack Obama and had been one of Trump’s staunchest defenders in the current conflict.

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He briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and was initially a sharp critic of Trump, then the insurgent frontrunner. He condemned Trump as a “jackass”, “a race-baiting bigot” and “the most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican party”, memorably warning on Twitter:

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n

If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.

n

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Trump, in turn, dismissed Graham as an “idiot” and a “lightweight”.

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Graham gestures at Donald Trump as the president speaks with reporters on Air Force One on 4 January 2026.”,”caption”:”Lindsey Graham gestures at Donald Trump as the president speaks with reporters on Air Force One on 4 January 2026.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

But the relationship was transformed after Trump entered the White House and Graham became one of the president’s closest confidants. He emerged as a key adviser on foreign policy, particularly Iran and Russia. He also rallied the defence of Trump’s embattled nominee for the supreme court, Brett Kavanaugh, in 2018.

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Graham wobbled only after Trump’s supporters staged an insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in an effort to overturn his election defeat. The senator declared:

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n

Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey – I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president but today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.

n

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His rebellion did not last, however, and he refused to vote to convict Trump at the subsequent impeachment trial. He was again quick to endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

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Graham’s death marks the passing of the last of the “three amigos”, comprising Graham, Joe Lieberman and John McCain, senators and close friends who each made unsuccessful bids for the presidency. McCain died in 2018, Lieberman in 2024.

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Lindsey Graham’s death is a personal blow to Donald Trump, for whom he was a political cheerleader and frequent golf partner. The president praised Graham, one of his closest allies, on Truth Social and said details on funeral arrangements would follow.

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n

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!

n

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Trump and Lindsey Graham during a campaign rally for his re-election in North Charleston, South Carolina, on 28 February 2020.”,”caption”:”Donald Trump and Lindsey Graham during a campaign rally for his re-election in North Charleston, South Carolina, on 28 February 2020.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Al Drago/EPA”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1783859790000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”08.36 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1783860126000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”08.42 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1783860127000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”08.42 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”08.42″,”title”:”Trump praises Graham as ‘one of the greatest people I have ever known'”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 12 Jul 2026 14.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 12 Jul 2026 08.32 EDT”},{“id”:”6a5385ee8f0804ac7befeab5″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Lindsey Graham, a longtime US senator and key ally of Donald Trump, has died from a sudden illness, his office said on Sunday. He had just turned 71.

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Graham’s abrupt death will send shock waves through Washington and the Republican party. He had served in the Senate since 2003, representing South Carolina, and was running for re-election in November.

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“On the evening of Saturday 11 July, US senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.

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Key events

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley also paid tribute to Graham this morning. She wrote on X:

Lindsey loved South Carolina deeply. There was never a day he stopped fighting for the people of our state.

Through his military service and years in public office, he gave his all to protect America and our freedom-loving allies.

He was truly one of a kind.

Michael and I are lifting up Darline and his entire family in prayer during this difficult time.

Trump also said he felt that Graham would be “appreciated more now than when he was living”.

More now from Donald Trump’s interview on NBC’s Meet the Press this morning, where he said that one of Lindsey Graham’s legacies as a legislator was helping to confirm US supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.

“I don’t think he could have gotten through without Lindsey,” Trump said of Kavanaugh. The president added:

He was a great politician. He really was. He got along with a lot of people that you wouldn’t think of. He was somebody that loved our country. And he fought very hard for the country.

Donald Trump has ordered all American flags throughout the United States to be lowered to half-staff until 6pm on 18 July to honor the “remarkable life and achievements of Senator Lindsey Graham”.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Graham as “a dear friend of mine, and a truly great man”, adding:

GOD BLESS YOU LINDSEY!

World leaders continue to pay tribute to Lindsey Graham, particularly over his unwavering support for Ukraine.

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte wrote that he was “so sad to learn of the sudden passing of my friend”. Graham, he said, was a “powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the Nato alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine”. He added: “I will miss him dearly.”

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, called Graham “a determined and fearless leader”. She wrote: “Senator Graham fought until the very end to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and raise the cost of Russia’s war of aggression. He worked tirelessly to strengthen sanctions, in close coordination with the EU. He will be deeply missed.”

Canadian PM Mark Carney wrote that Graham “stood resolutely in defence of democracy and freedom, most recently and particularly with Ukraine and its people”.

British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said Graham was “a steadfast supporter of the Nato alliance and unrelenting in his support for the fight for freedom in Ukraine, visiting Kyiv again only this week.” She added: “His voice in those debates will be greatly missed.”

German chancellor Friedrich Merz called Graham “a true friend and partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance”. He added: “For more than four decades, we have stood side by side. I will miss him.”

FBI director Kash Patel wrote on X:

Senator Lindsey Graham was a devoted public servant, a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot who dedicated his life to the people of South Carolina and the United States. Our prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who knew him during this devastating time. The FBI is assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available.

The post itself does not indicate that authorities suspect foul play in the senator’s death. However, there has been some speculation online about the circumstances surrounding Graham’s sudden death after what his office described as a “brief illness”.

Pod Save America co-host and former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer responded to Patel’s post by calling it “an idiotic tweet from a complete idiot that will give rocket fuel to the conspiracy theories circulating online.”

Mace also just posted on X a bit of skepticism at Trump’s telling of his last conversation with Graham, in which the president claims the late senator was fired up about his controversial voter registration bill.

She wrote:

Shockingly, Lindsey Graham died a few minutes after speaking to President Trump – confirming the Senate was all set to pass the SAVE America Act… according to the President.

Nancy Mace, a Maga firebrand who recently ran for South Carolina governor but came in fifth in the state’s primary election, is one of several politicians eyeing Lindsey Graham’s seat.

She posted a not-so-subtle but also not exactly mournful video clip on X from The Godfather Part III of Michael Corleone saying, “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in”.

And earlier, a person familiar with Mace’s thinking told The Hill “Yolo” (you only live once) when asked about her interest in replacing the late senator.

Explainer: Graham’s death triggers a scramble to replace him – what happens next

George Chidi

South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, has the political decision of a lifetime with the unexpected death in office of Senator Lindsey Graham. The Republican governor and loyalist of Donald Trump will appoint a new senator to serve out the remainder of Graham’s term, which ends on 3 January.

Whoever McMaster appoints will likely have a leg up in a special primary election on 11 August to fill Graham’s place on the November ballot, which he won despite facing five challengers from his party in June. That election calendar favors candidates with wide name recognition and deep institutional support.

The candidate would still run against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who gained significant support in the red state, but still faces an uphill challenge.

Congressman Joe Wilson has reportedly expressed interest in the seat. Of the Republican delegation to Washington, Wilson is the longest tenured. He has represented South Carolina’s second congressional district since 2001, and his activism within the state’s Republican party predates its dominance in the state’s politics.

Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman, came in second with 29% of the vote. Lynch was a critic of Graham’s posture toward federal spending, immigration, and budget issues.

Congressman Ralph Norman, who placed third in the Republican gubernatorial primary, has also entered speculation as a successor to Graham, as has Nancy Mace, the ultraconservative congresswoman who came in fifth in a bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Graham’s death comes amid fraught time for Senate Republicans – snap analysis

Lindsey’s Graham’s death comes at a perilous time for Senate Republicans, who face a series of legislative priorities pushed by Donald Trump with the August recess just weeks away, Politico notes.

They now have it all to do with an even tighter margin, as the mystery around Mitch McConnell’s health deepens – with no indication of when he might return to Congress – the GOP’s Senate majority stands at 52-47.

Graham’s absence will be felt most immediately by acting attorney general Todd Blanche, who is gearing up for his confirmation hearing before the Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday and was counting on Graham’s crucial vote to see him through. Blanche now faces an uphill battle to prevent even one Republican defection from tanking his entire bid.

The South Carolina Republican was also a crucial voice backing Trump’s authority to continue his war on Iran without congressional approval. Democrats will be pushing back hard on the war over the next few weeks, Politico reported yesterday.

That’s on top of the annual defense policy bill and the supplemental Iran war funding that Trump has been pushing for, which Graham had supported. Senate GOP leaders will also need to replace Graham as chair of the budget committee and fill his vacancy on the appropriations committee.

The day so far: Washington remembers Lindsey Graham

• Tributes have been pouring in this morning as Washington reels from the sudden death of controversial Republican senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, at the age of 71. Graham died on Saturday evening after a “brief and sudden illness”, according to a statement from his office, which gave no further details. Citing police scanner audio, the Washington Post reported that emergency medical services received a call at about 8.30pm on Saturday regarding a person suffering chest pains at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill. About 25 minutes later, per the Post, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and a man was suffering cardiac arrest. There had been no known concerns over the health of Graham, who celebrated his birthday last Thursday and had just returned from a visit to Ukraine.

• Donald Trump praised Graham, one of his closest allies, as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and said he had spoken to him on the phone shortly before his death. Graham in many ways embodied the evolution of the Republican party, morphing from a fierce critic of Trump into one of his greatest political cheerleaders once he entered the White House. He was also one of the most influential figures in Washington on foreign affairs, advising Trump on major issues including his war on Iran and Russia. “He was like a member of the family,” Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press, adding that they had talked about Graham’s efforts to rally support for the Save America Act in that final phone call.

• Graham had made a name for himself as a foreign policy hawk – notably as a leading voice in Congress for support for Ukraine and Israel, whose dignitaries led global tributes today. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had just met with Graham on Friday, said he was “deeply saddened” by his death and that the world had lost “a determined leader” and a “true defender of freedom”. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “lost one of its greatest friends”, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said the news had left him “shocked and heartbroken”.

• Tributes poured in across Washington, from members of the Trump administration to Graham’s colleagues in Congress and in South Carolina. Several senators have called for the Russia sanctions package, which Graham had worked on for months and received the green light from Trump on Friday, to be passed when lawmakers return this week in his memory. A fierce backer of Trump’s war on Iran, Graham’s absence will also be felt as the ceasefire collapses and fighting starts up again.

• Graham’s death will also impact the Senate and November’s midterm elections. Per state law, South Carolina’s governor may appoint a temporary replacement, but as Graham was up for re-election this year, there will also be a special primary election on 11 August to replace him on the ballot (and a run-off, if necessary, on 25 August). Trump said he had someone in mind to succeed Graham but said it was “too soon” after his death to say.

Former president Joe Biden, who served with Graham in the Senate for over a decade, said he was “shocked by [his] sudden passing].

Lindsey and I served together in Congress for over a decade, and worked closely on many issues throughout the years. We traveled the world together as members of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. We disagreed often, and sometimes loudly.

Lindsey and I did agree on the profound importance of public service. Like me, he loved the Senate as an institution, even with all its flaws and complexities.

To his family, his staff, his constituents in South Carolina, and everyone who loved him: Jill and I are keeping you in our prayers.

Democratic senator Chris Coons said there was “no better friend, no tougher adversary” than Lindsey Graham as he reflected on their friendship, marked by bipartisan foreign policy achievements and fierce sparring in Congress.

Graham had been “jubilant” after Donald Trump signaled that he was open to moving forward with the Russian sanctions package, Coons told ABC’s This Week. “It’s my hope that we will take up and pass this bill in Lindsey’s memory this week when we all get back to session,” he added.

Here’s Coons’s statement:

I traveled the world with Lindsey, visiting dozens of countries across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. We argued, advocated, and legislated together for more than fifteen years, and I am stunned by his sudden passing. We had dinner to celebrate his birthday at the Nato summit this past week, and one of my last memories of him will be of his irreverent wit, as well as his patriotism and love of freedom. Lindsey believed in the fundamental goodness of an America that uses its might to support the fight for freedom globally. His passionate advocacy for Ukraine and his tireless fight to impose greater costs on Putin for his war of aggression inspired many of us in the Senate. We should promptly pass his bill with Senator Blumenthal to impose greater sanctions and tariffs on the buyers of Russian oil and gas in his memory.

While we disagreed fiercely on many policy issues, he was complicated and could not be pigeonholed. I will never forget that at the height of the hearings over Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation in 2018, one of the ugliest and most partisan fights we ever had, he was also quietly working hard to save American foreign aid. Several of my most important bills I have passed were with Lindsey, from conservation in Africa to promoting balanced American engagement with fragile states. I will miss having him as a partner in the Senate.

Of my colleagues, few have been able to frustrate and anger, amuse and engage me in a single conversation the way Lindsey could. I will deeply miss his humor, his global view, and his tireless optimism. Annie and I are keeping his family, including his beloved sister Darline, in our prayers.