Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, passed away Saturday evening due to a sudden and short illness at the age of 71, his office announced on X early Sunday.
His family has asked for privacy during this tragic period as they expressed their appreciation for prayers from the public and its support, his communications director said.
Elected in 2002, Graham was South Carolina’s US Senator. He secured re-election in 2008, 2014 and 2020.
Prior to being elected to the Senate, he was a member of the US House of Representatives from 1995, representing South Carolina’s 3rd congressional district.
Throughout his long career in politics, Graham had been a chair of the Senate Budget Committee and on several influential panels such as the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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Graham was known for being a hawk on foreign policy issues and consistently advocated for a hawkish foreign policy on Iran and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
He was also one of the few members of Congress to be outspoken about Israel, and was a vocal supporter of Trump’s military actions against Iran.
Israel Defence Ministry expressed its condolences to Graham, saying that “He was with Israel in some of its most difficult moments.
Graham was bitterly critical of Trump in 2016 when he was seeking to be the Republican presidential nominee, but later became one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress.
Prior to his political career, Graham was a US Air Force lawyer for over six years.
He later served 20 years in the USAF Reserve, retiring as colonel.
FAQs
Q: How old was Lindsey Graham when he died?
A: His age was 71.
What was the biggest achievement of Lindsey Graham’s career?
A: He was a long time South Carolina Republican senator, a longtime ally of Donald Trump and a proponent of a strong assertive American foreign policy.
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