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It was released Sunday to President Donald Trump, congressional leaders and foreign allies after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., at 71 following what his office described as a “short and sudden illness,” ended the career of one of the Senate's most influential Republican voices.
The South Carolina Republican had served in the Senate since 2003 and became one of the GOP's leading voices on national security and foreign policy. Once a staunch critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, Graham has since emerged as one of the president's closest allies while playing a key role on issues ranging from legal confirmation to Ukraine, Israel and Iran.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham was “always on the job,” and called the Palmetto State senator “a true American Patriot.”
“Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Trump wrote. “So sad!”
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DIES AT 71 AFTER 'BRIEF AND ACTUAL ILLNESS,' OFFICE SAYS
US President Donald Trump (R) and US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speak to the media aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, DC on January 04, 2026. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called Graham “irreplaceable” and “the fiercest fighter in South Carolina and America.” According to South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint an interim replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.
Thune praised Graham as a tireless advocate for the United States and its allies, saying he believed in “the power of America to achieve good in the world” and used his work to promote that cause.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., wrote in X that Graham spent his career advancing American interests and believed in “America's power to achieve good in the world.” (Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images)
United States UN Amb. Mike Waltz remembered Graham not just as a senator, but as a fellow military officer. Waltz said he first met Graham while serving as a colonel in the Air National Guard, recalling that Graham spent his annual training in Afghanistan helping to train Afghan Army Judge Advocate Generals.
Waltz also praised Graham's commitment to the U.S. military and foreign policy, saying that no member of Congress has traveled more “from Libya to Lebanon” to meet with U.S. troops and “bring back basic truth to lawmaking.”
“Rest easy, Patriot,” he wrote to X.
Graham's death also caused consternation overseas. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., remembered his Republican colleague as “kind, kind, and thoughtful,” and a foreign policy expert.
“Sudden and bad news about Senator Lindsey Graham,” Fetterman wrote. “The United States Senate has lost a giant of foreign policy.”
The outpouring of applause quickly spread beyond Washington, with world leaders recalling Graham as one of America's most influential voices on national security and foreign affairs.
CHAD PERGRAM WRITES NEXT TO GOP AFTER GRAHAM'S DEATH
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Graham has visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's full-scale invasion. (President of Ukraine/Anadolu/Getty Images)
In one of his last overseas trips, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. The trip marked his tenth visit to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, where the two, according to a readout of the meeting, discussed tougher sanctions against Russia and the country's air defense needs.
After Graham's death, Zelenskyy sent to X, calling him a “true defender of freedom” who stood with Ukraine “when it was most needed.” He said Graham's bipartisan work to increase pressure on Moscow helped bring “closer peace,” adding that “America and the world have lost a determined leader.”
Other European leaders echoed those sentiments.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described Graham as “a strong American advocate who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was working tirelessly to end Russia's war with Ukraine.” Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised his “untiring commitment” to NATO and the trans-Atlantic partnership, as well as his “strong support” for Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Graham was “a true friend and partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance. We lived together for more than four decades.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Graham “Israel's best friend” and said he dedicated his life to strengthening the US-Israel alliance. (Israel Prime Minister's Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
These recommendations extended to the Middle East, where Graham was remembered as one of Israel's strongest allies in Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “Israel's best friend” and “my dearest friend,” saying Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States were “inseparable” and devoted his life to strengthening the alliance between the two countries.
“Israel has lost one of its best friends. America has lost a patriot. I have lost a dear friend,” Netanyahu said.
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Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told the Associated Press that Graham's death leaves Congress without a strong voice in support of Israel at a critical time.
“You have a few Democrats and Republicans who are willing to stand up for Israel, but that kind of people are few, it's not a group of people,” he said. “So when you lose someone like Lindsey Graham, it's a political and strategic loss for the state of Israel.”
