Metro53 - NEW YORK: US Senator Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican lawmaker and one of President Donald Trump's closest political allies, has died at the age of 71 following a brief and sudden illness, his office confirmed on Sunday.
According to a statement issued by Senator Graham's office, he passed away on Saturday evening after a brief illness. His family requested privacy during this difficult time, while no official cause of death was immediately disclosed. Multiple US media outlets reported that emergency responders were called to his residence following a medical emergency.
News of his death prompted an outpouring of tributes from political leaders in the United States and abroad.
Just a day before his death, Sen Graham had travelled to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the war in Ukraine and bilateral cooperation. The visit was part of his longstanding engagement on foreign policy and international security issues.
Graham was elected to the US Senate in 2002 and represented South Carolina for more than two decades. Widely regarded as one of the Republican Party's leading voices on national security, defence and foreign affairs, he remained an influential figure in Washington throughout his political career.
Although he was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Graham later became one of the president's closest allies in Congress and frequently supported the administration's positions on domestic and international issues.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to the late senator, describing him as "a true American patriot" and "one of the greatest senators" he had ever known. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed condolences, praising Graham as one of Israel's strongest friends in the US Senate.
Senator Graham's death marks the end of a political career spanning more than three decades in Congress and leaves a significant void in the Republican Party's leadership on foreign policy and national security.
