Washington: US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close aide of US President Donald Trump, passed away at 71 after a ‘brief and sudden illness’, according to his office.
Graham, who was a close aide of US President Donald Trump and was eyeing his fifth term in the Senate, died on Saturday evening, his office said in a statement on X.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” it said.
Trump paid tribute to Graham, saying he was “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known”.
“He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed… So sad,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Lindsey Graham was first elected to the United States Senate in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020.
A resident of South Carolina, he was the first person in his state to get over one million votes in the 2008 general election.
He was considered a close ally of US President Donald Trump. He often took a tough stance on Iran.
Prior to serving in the Senate, Graham was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994 as the first Republican from the Third Congressional District of South Carolina since 1877.
