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.ย Graham, a senator from South Carolina, died on Saturday (local time), his office said in a post on X.
In a statement, Graham’s office said the family of the Republican Senator from South Carolina had sought privacy during the difficult time.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, US Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness. Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said.
Lindsey Graham met Zelenskyy on Friday
Graham had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. “Good meeting with US Senator Lindsey Graham in Kyiv. This is already his 10th visit to our country, and we appreciate this support,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
About Lindsey Graham?
Republican leader Lindsey Graham was elected to the US Senate in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020. He became the first person in South Carolina history to garner 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.
As a member of Congress in the 1990s, Graham supported policies aimed at isolating Iran and limiting its missile and nuclear programs. Last year, he supported Trump’s decision to attack Iranian nuclear sites. He was also a supporter of the US confrontation with Iran that began a few months earlier.
Graham, known for his aggressive foreign policy, made a brief attempt to become the Republican Party’s presidential candidate during the 2016 election campaign. However, after Trump became president, Graham became one of his closest allies.
He was often seen speaking with Trump and regularly appeared with him on the golf course. Lindsey Graham, who has primarily advised Trump on foreign policy issues such as Iran and Russia, announced last Friday that he would work with the US administration to further impose sanctions on Russia.
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