The accoades keep pouring in for the Senator

Remembering Lindsey Graham: Tributes pour in for the late senator

In an interview with CNN, President Donald Trump recalled how Graham went from a “formidable” political foe to a close confidant.

Updated 6:08 PM EDT, Sun July 12, 2026

Remembering Lindsey Graham

• Tributes poured in from the capital and across the country on Sunday after word that Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican from South Carolina, died from a sudden illness at 71 years old, according to a spokesperson.

• Graham embodied the evolution of the Republican Party as a critic of President Donald Trump who grew to be one of the president’s close advisers. Trump recalled the senator as a tough political opponent turned fierce ally in an interview with CNN, and said he spoke to Graham hours before his passing.

• The late senator made a name for himself as a foreign policy hawk who advocated for military intervention in Iran and Iraq and was a leading voice for US support of Israel and Ukraine.

• Graham’s death will shake up the November election and leaves a Senate vacancy for South Carolina’s governor to temporarily fill.