Former President George W. Bush said that he and his wife, Laura Bush, were “saddened” to wake up to the news. 

“He was a knowledgeable Senator who understood how the world works and how important America’s international engagement is to resist tyranny,” Bush wrote in a statement. “He was a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it. South Carolina was fortunate to have such a committed public servant in its corner. And I was fortunate to have known Lindsey Graham.”

Former President Joe Biden recalled his own years of service in Congress with Graham. The two lawmakers “disagreed often, and sometimes loudly.”

Still, he added, “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.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 

The South Carolina senator was a vocal ally of Ukraine, which reflected his longstanding interventionist foreign policy views. On his most recent trip to Kyiv, Graham and President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed bolstering Ukraine's military capabilities and continuing ​sanctions, as well as a diplomatic push for peace talks with Moscow.