Tributes from leaders at home and abroad have poured in following news of the sudden and unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Saturday night.
On Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid tribute to the senator, a staunch supporter of Ukraine who had visited the country 10 times since Russia had invaded it in 2022, according to Zelenskyy.
“America and the world have lost a determined leader,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Lindsey was a true champion of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
Graham had just returned from his last visit to Ukraine, where he met with Zelenskyy on July 10.
Graham died from a “brief and sudden illness” Saturday evening, according to the senator’s office. He was 71.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also mourned the loss of Graham.
“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends,” he wrote on X. “America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
“He was a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Rutte said in a post on X.
“South Carolina lost a statesman and I’ve lost a friend,” Scott posted on X. “My prayers are with his sister and the rest of his family. From his humble beginnings to the Senate floor, Lindsey always led with faith, family, and South Carolina first. Lindsey remained committed to public service and doing what he loved. He always introduced levity and brought wit to the most challenging moments.”
President Donald Trump, who had last spoken with Graham only hours before his passing, sent a heartfelt message conveying shock at the news.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Trump ordered all American flags throughout the United States to be flown at half mast until 6 p.m. on July 18, “in honor of the remarkable life and achievements of Senator Lindsey Graham, a dear friend of mine, and a truly great man, who achieved so much for our Country, and his beloved Home State of South Carolina.”
Former President Joe Biden also paid tribute to Graham.
“Lindsey and I served together in Congress for over a decade, and worked closely on many issues throughout the years,” Biden wrote on X. “We traveled the world together as members of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. We disagreed often, and sometimes loudly. Lindsey and I did agree on the profound importance of public service. Like me, he loved the Senate as an institution, even with all its flaws and complexities.”
Other Democrats who paid tribute to Graham included Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
“I got to know Senator Lindsey Graham traveling with him abroad in Afghanistan and Ukraine,” Warren wrote in a post on X. “We had just met to renew the fight for our Big Tech bill. Even though we disagreed on much, he was always willing to negotiate, with humor and wit.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shared past press events he’d had with Graham.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that Graham served his country throughout his life.
“He believed and advocated tirelessly for American strength and exceptionalism, and he will be missed,” Johnson said on X.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) called Graham’s sudden death “terrible and shocking news.”
“Senator Graham was a good friend and tremendous leader who always fought for the people of South Carolina,” Capito wrote on X. “He was a true patriot who believed in the greatness of America and made our conference stronger.”
