Just hours before he passed away at 71, suspected due to a ruptured aorta linked to chronic heart disease, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) reportedly joked, “I can’t die now,” after expressing he wasn’t feeling well.
His office confirmed his death early Sunday morning, following a visit to a secret military drone factory in Ukraine and a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
On Saturday morning, the senator informed those around him that he wasn’t feeling great, although he hadn’t canceled any plans, including an appearance scheduled for that Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” as reported by Axios.
“I can’t die now. I still need to implement sanctions on Russia, sort out Iran, and normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” he jokingly remarked, according to friends.
During the previous evening, Graham discussed President Trump’s trip to Ukraine, along with a bipartisan sanctions package aimed at Russia that he was collaborating on with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to bring to Congress.
This legislation would enable the Trump administration to impose heavy tariffs on countries that contribute to President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts through energy purchases.
Blumenthal mentioned on X that passing the bill would serve as a “fitting memorial” to Graham, recalling a recent conversation with him where he expressed excitement about the progress made on the sanctions bill, saying, “This is a big step forward, well done by all of us.”
“He was dedicated to supporting Ukraine’s freedom and approached this mission with his usual energy and optimism,” Blumenthal added.
Describing Graham, he noted how he was a strong, sometimes unpredictable figure, but also deeply compassionate towards others.
Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas) indicated plans to introduce a sanctions bill in the House, while Representative Mike Turner (R-Ohio) suggested it could soon reach President Trump’s desk.
“I think we owe it to Lindsey Graham to pass that tough sanctions bill,” McCaul stated on ABC News’ “This Week.” “He would have appreciated that.”
Graham, who looked poised for re-election to a fifth Senate term in November, also had plans for a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia to advance normalization efforts in the region before the new Congress takes over next year.
Saudi Arabia has previously stated it would not normalize relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established, although ties have grown closer recently due to mutual concerns regarding Iran.
Preliminary reports from the Washington D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office attribute Graham’s death to “aortic dissection due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” a condition that mainly affects older men, as noted by the Mayo Clinic. It’s worth mentioning that other public figures, like John Ritter and Alan Thicke, have also succumbed to similar conditions.
President Trump paid tribute to Graham, calling him one of the greatest individuals he had known.
“He was always on the job and a true American patriot. Lindsey will be sorely missed!” Trump shared on Truth Social.
Interestingly, however, the two had not always been in agreement.
Both Graham and Trump sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, with Graham having once cautioned that “if we nominate Mr. Trump, we will be destroyed… and we deserve it.”
Yet, after the election, they formed a strong alliance, with Graham becoming a vocal supporter of Trump within the Senate, notably voting to acquit him during both impeachment trials.
Graham also campaigned alongside Trump for the 2024 presidential election and emerged as a key ally in foreign policy and national security matters.
In recent months, he has been a notable Republican voice in favor of Trump’s strategies against Iran, arguing that military action is crucial to halt their progress towards nuclear capabilities.
“I have a lot of respect for President Trump. He’s his own person,” Graham remarked in a statement earlier this year.
“And like any president, he is accountable for his decisions on significant issues. My position on this is clear, for better or worse.”
