Lindsey Graham, US senator and top Trump ally, dies at 71
US Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and one of former President Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress, died on Saturday at age 71 after a brief illness, his office said. He had just returned from a trip to Ukraine.
Senator Lindsey Graham's office confirmed on Saturday that he had died at 71 after a brief illness, just days after returning from a trip to Ukraine. Graham represented South Carolina in the Senate for more than two decades and became one of Donald Trump's most prominent allies in Congress.
A medical examiner later said the cause of death was an aortic rupture. Graham was a leading voice on foreign policy, championing continued US military support for Ukraine and playing a central role in Senate debates over defense spending and Middle East policy.
His death removes a key vote and a familiar voice from the Senate at a delicate moment for Republican legislative priorities. Colleagues from both parties paid tribute, and attention is turning to who South Carolina's governor will appoint to fill the seat.
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