Sen. Lindsey Graham dies after "brief and sudden illness"

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Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, 71, died Saturday evening pursuing a "brief and abrupt illness," his bureau said successful a statement. His decease came soon aft returning from a travel to Ukraine and up of a scheduled quality connected Sunday's "Meet the Press."

"Senator Graham's household appreciates prayers astatine this clip and asks for privateness during this incredibly hard period," the South Carolina senator's bureau said.

No further item connected Graham's decease was instantly available, but a signaling of an exigency telephone telephone connected Saturday evening responding to a residence belonging to the legislator mentions a dispatch for cardiac arrest. CBS News obtained photos that amusement exigency responders taking a idiosyncratic from Graham's Capitol Hill location Saturday night.

President Trump paid tribute to Graham, calling him "one of the top radical and Senators I person ever known," successful a Truth Social post.

"He was ever working, and was a existent American Patriot. Lindsey volition beryllium greatly missed," Mr. Trump said.

The president said Sunday connected NBC's "Meet the Press" helium spoke with the legislator Saturday evening, aft helium returned from Ukraine. "Other than being bushed helium was fine," the president said.

The salient legislator had been connected a sojourn to Ukraine connected Friday wherever helium met with President Zelenskyy, who has since said helium was "deeply saddened" by the news. Zelenskyy paid tribute to Graham's 10 wartime visits to the state and his advocacy for Ukraine's defense.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to Graham. "Sara and I grieve with the American radical implicit the nonaccomplishment of our beloved friend," the premier curate said successful a statement.

"Israel has mislaid 1 of its top friends. America has mislaid a large patriot. I person mislaid a beloved friend," Netanyahu said.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog said successful a social media post helium was "shocked and heartbroken to larn of the abrupt passing of the large American patriot, a large person of Israel, and my beloved friend."

Graham was calved successful Central, South Carolina, connected July 9, 1955. Both of his parents died erstwhile helium was successful his aboriginal 20s, leaving him to serve as ineligible guardian for his 13-year-old younger sister, Darline.

He attended University of South Carolina for his undergraduate grade and stayed connected for a instrumentality degree. After a stint arsenic a subject lawyer and a fewer years of backstage instrumentality practice, helium served 1 word successful the South Carolina House of Representatives. Two years later, helium was elected to the U.S. House, representing South Carolina's 3rd District.

He ran for the Senate spot erstwhile occupied by Strom Thurmond successful 2002, and won reelection 3 times by reasonably robust margins. Even successful 2014, erstwhile extracurricular blimpish groups threatened him with a superior situation for his relation successful the 2013 migration debate, nary superior challenger emerged connected the Republican stage. In 2020, helium defeated Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison by much than 10 points contempt his hostile raising $25 cardinal much than him.

Graham was ever an outspoken hawk connected overseas argumentation matters, including connected Iran, and earlier this period helium came retired against the archetypal contours of the memorandum of knowing Mr. Trump signed with the country. He besides favored a hardline argumentation toward Russia, particularly aft the country's full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

His overseas argumentation views brought him adjacent to 2 hawkish erstwhile giants of Congress, GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut — a trio that was dubbed "the 3 amigos." He besides counted erstwhile President Joe Biden, who served with Graham successful the Senate, arsenic a person astatine 1 constituent though their narration frayed during Biden's presidency.

The South Carolina Republican was known successful the Senate for moving crossed the aisle, and was a cardinal subordinate successful a fig of large bipartisan agreements. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia paid tribute to Graham Sunday, saying: "Lindsey and I disagreed connected plentifulness implicit the years, but I ne'er doubted his emotion for this state oregon his committedness to serving it. "

"He was a fierce advocator for the causes helium believed in, particularly our nation's information and the men and women of our equipped forces," Warner said.

Graham was initially a staunch critic of Mr. Trump and the ascendant, blimpish Tea Party movement. In 2016, aft his ain short-lived statesmanlike tally came to an end, he once warned connected societal media that if his enactment nominated Mr. Trump, "we volition get destroyed......and we volition merit it."

But Graham aboriginal mended his narration with Mr. Trump and became a adjacent state and defender of the president. As a subordinate of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helium helped steer Mr. Trump's first-term Supreme Court picks — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — done contentious Senate confirmation hearings.

Despite briefly breaking with the president aft the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots — "count maine out, capable is enough," helium said connected the Senate level — helium sought to stay successful Mr. Trump's bully graces. Once referring to himself arsenic the president's "north star," Graham pressed Mr. Trump successful caller months to enforce more aggravated sanctions against Russia and support a hard enactment against Iran.

"Let's effort a diplomatic solution. I deliberation it's going to fail. What happens next?" he said of talks with Iran connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" conscionable 3 weeks ago, a mates days aft spending 4 and a fractional hours with the president. "To each the radical listening, if this diplomatic effort fails, President Trump is going to instrumentality the Strait of Hormuz. We're going to tally it."

Under South Carolina authorities law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will name an interim replacement for Graham's seat, who volition service until January 3, 2027. Since Graham's spot was up for reelection this year, the adjacent legislator volition beryllium elected successful the existing midterms connected November 3, 2026.

Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.

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