Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican senator from South Carolina and a close aide of President Donald Trump, died on Saturday evening at the age of 71 due to a disease called aortic dissection. He was constantly in the headlines because of a proposal regarding India.
His office released a post on social media platform X on Sunday and confirmed his death. During his long political career, Graham was often in the news for his sharp statements on foreign policy, national security and international affairs. Lindsey Graham’s office confirmed his death in a post on X. It was reported that he died on Saturday evening after a brief and sudden illness.
Lindsey Graham played an active role in American politics for more than three decades. He represented South Carolina in the US Senate from 2003 until his death. Earlier, he had represented South Carolina’s 3rd parliamentary district in the US House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. Recently he also won the Republican Party nomination for the 2026 elections, but he died before the general elections.
Which disease were you suffering from?
Lindsey Graham was suffering from a disease called aortic dissection. In this, a tear occurs in the inner part of the important artery of the heart. This is a very dangerous condition.
Which statement on India made headlines?
In January this year, Lindsey Graham had said that President Donald Trump had approved the Graham-Blumenthal Sanctions Bill. According to Graham, he had worked on this bill for several months. He had said that under this bill the American President would be Tariff up to 500 percent Those who buy oil from Russia will get the right to use it. India’s name was also included in this list.
Graham said that through this law, Trump will be able to punish those countries which are providing financial help to President Vladimir Putin’s war machine by buying cheap Russian oil. In February, Graham claimed that India had “significantly reduced” its oil purchases from Russia. He had described the US tariffs imposed on India as an example showing that the behavior of a country can be influenced through policy decisions.
On which other countries did you give strong statements?
Apart from India, he has given harsh statements against Iran and Pakistan. During an interview given on Fox News program Sunday Morning Futures, Graham supported Donald Trump’s policy regarding Iran. He described Iran’s supreme leader at the time, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a “modern-day Hitler”, a “religious Nazi” and a “terrible person”.
Graham had said that now the time has come for his departure and the Iranian people also want the same. He had told Trump that the leadership which is killing its own people should be eliminated. Graham also said that removing Iran’s supreme leadership would help in establishing peace in the region.
What statement did you give regarding Pakistan?
In May, Graham had raised questions on Pakistan’s role as mediator in the US-Iran conflict. He also appealed to Pakistan to give diplomatic recognition to Israel. In a post written on X, he had said that considering Pakistan as a mediator has been a matter of concern for him for a long time. He had claimed that Pakistan’s opposition to Israel is well known.
Citing a media report, Graham had alleged that Iranian military planes were given safe space at Pakistan’s military bases so that they could escape American air strikes. However, Pakistan rejected these claims.
What did Trump say on the death of Lindsey Graham?
On the death of Lindsey Graham, President Donald Trump called him a “true American patriot” and said that his absence will always be felt. Speaking to CNN, Trump said that he was deeply saddened by this news. He told that Graham had called him shortly before his death. According to Trump, Graham had returned from a trip to Ukraine and he talked at length about the trip.
Trump said that Graham was working very hard. He only said on the phone that he was tired due to the long journey, but everything else was normal. Trump said that the medical team arrived shortly after, but by then it was too late. He called it a big loss for the country.
Who was Lindsey Graham?
- Lindsey Olin Graham was born on July 9, 1955 in Central City, South Carolina. He studied at the University of South Carolina and obtained a law degree from there.
- From 1982 to 1989, he served in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch of the US Air Force. During this time he worked as a defense lawyer and chief prosecutor of the Air Force in Europe.
- He later served in the South Carolina Air National Guard and the US Air Force Reserve and retired with the rank of colonel in 2015. In 2014, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his legal work related to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
How was your journey in American politics?
- Lindsey Graham gained national recognition when he became a member of the House Judiciary Committee and served as the House Impeachment Manager in the impeachment trial of then President Bill Clinton.
- In 2002, he was elected to the US Senate for the first time. After this, he was re-elected continuously in 2008, 2014 and 2020. In June 2026, he also won the Republican Party nomination for a fifth term.
- Lindsey Graham also presented the presidential candidacy from the Republican Party in 2016, but withdrew his name before the primary elections began.
- Although he was a vocal critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 election campaign, in the following years the two grew closer and Graham became one of Trump’s most trusted aides. He continuously supported Trump during both his terms.
Why was Lindsay called War Hawk?
Lindsey Graham was known in American politics as a “War Hawk”, i.e. a leader supporting aggressive foreign policy. He was a strong supporter of Israel, Ukraine and NATO. He also worked closely with Republican and Democrat leaders on many issues related to national security, immigration and foreign policy.
He was also known for his close political partnerships with Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman. The three leaders were known as “Three Amigos” in American politics.
From 2019 to 2021, Graham was the Chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee. After this, from 2025 till his death, he served as the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He also played an important role in the appointment process of many judges nominated by President Donald Trump.
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