Tributes poured in Sunday from President Donald Trump, congressional leaders and foreign allies after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died at 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” bringing to an end 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 sharp critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, Graham later emerged as one of the president’s closest allies while maintaining a prominent role on issues ranging from judicial confirmations to Ukraine, Israel and Iran.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham “was always working,” and called the Palmetto State senator “a true American Patriot.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Graham “a great friend of Israel” and said he devoted his life to strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance. (Israeli Prime Ministry Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

In one of his final overseas trips, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. The visit marked his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, where the two, according to readouts of the meeting, discussed tougher sanctions on Russia and the country’s air defense needs.

After Graham’s death, Zelenskyy posted on 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 “peace closer,” adding, “America and the world have lost a determined leader.”

The tributes extended to the Middle East as well, where Graham was remembered as one of Israel’s strongest allies in Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “a great friend of Israel” and “a cherished friend of mine,” saying Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States “is inseparable” and devoted his life to strengthening the alliance between the two countries.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Netanyahu said.

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