Congressman Lindsey Graham, staunch defender of President Trump and Netanyahu, dies at age 71

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina passed away on Saturday at the age of 71, following a “brief and sudden illness,” according to his staff.  While his office requested privacy and did not immediately release specific details regarding the cause of death, records of an emergency dispatch call to his residence indicated a response for cardiac arrest. Prominent domestic and international figures quickly paid tribute to the late lawmaker, with President Donald Trump honoring him as a “true American patriot” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourning him as a beloved and irreplaceable friend to Israel.

Graham’s extensive political career spanned over three decades, beginning in the South Carolina House of Representatives before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, and ultimately the U.S. Senate in 2002. Known as an outspoken foreign policy hawk, he frequently advocated for strong international interventions, most recently expressing deep skepticism toward diplomatic efforts regarding Iran. Though initially a critic of President Trump during the 2016 presidential primary cycle, Graham evolved into one of the president’s most prominent, influential allies, and fierce defenders in Congress.