President Trump has paid tribute to South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham following his sudden passing on Saturday evening.

The 71-year-old is understood to have contacted emergency services to complain of chest pains and was later determined to be in cardiac arrest.

He was eventually pronounced dead.

Graham had only recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he had met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Good meeting with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC in Kyiv. This is already his 10th visit to our country, and we appreciate this support.

I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors. The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the greater the chances that… pic.twitter.com/bgZjjgIqu1

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 10, 2026

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described him as “one of the greatest people I have ever known.”

“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” he wrote.

“He was always working and a true American Patriot.”

”He will be greatly missed. DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

President Donald J. Trump on the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham: pic.twitter.com/m2Mb5m1EKz

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 12, 2026

While Graham was not always popular among the Republican grassroots, he developed a close friendship with Trump and became one of his key allies in the Senate.

The two men shared a passion for golf and regularly played the game together.

Graham’s death leaves a political vacuum in the U.S. Senate.

While South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster will have the right to appoint a temporary replacement, this is only until a special election can be held.

Graham was also running for re-election in South Carolina, meaning the GOP will need to find a replacement.

Ben Kew is a writer and editor. Originally from the UK, he moved to the U.S. to cover Congress for Breitbart News and has since gone on to editorial roles at Human Events, Townhall Media, and Americano Media. He has also written for The Epoch Times, The Western Journal, and The Spectator.

You can email Ben Kew here, and read more of Ben Kew's articles here.

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