Dies at 71 years old the senator Lindsey Graham, ally of Trump, from a sudden illness
The legislator had shown himself very critical of Spain and had just returned from Ukraine
BarcelonaUS Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's most loyal allies, died this Sunday at the age of 71. The South Carolina legislator died after a "brief and sudden illness," according to his office's post on X early Sunday. According to NBC, emergency services received a call to respond to a cardiac arrest at his home.
His unexpected death puts an end to an intense political career marked by a total metamorphosis: he went from being one of Trump's fiercest opponents to becoming one of his main allies in Congress and a foreign policy advisor. In fact, Graham's activity had not stopped: the day before his death, he met in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on what was his tenth visit to the country to address air defense needs and a new package of sanctions against Russia. The senator was scheduled to appear this Sunday morning on the well-known interview program Meet the Press.
Shortly after his death was announced, Trump described Graham as "one of the finest people and senators I have ever known" and a hard-working patriot. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also lamented his death and called the Republican legislator a "defender of freedom and the values that make our world a safer place." For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lamented that "Israel has lost one of its best friends." "America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a dear friend," the statement added.
South Carolina is a traditionally Republican stronghold, so the race to succeed Graham should not be a headache for Trump's party in the November elections. Nevertheless, with his death, Trump loses a key vote in a Senate where the margin between Republicans and Democrats is only six seats.
Graham was known for his hard-line and interventionist stance on foreign policy (he strongly defended the Iraq and Afghanistan wars). In recent months, he had been highly critical of international allies who had denied aid to the United States to contain Iran. Spain was one of his main targets in these criticisms, after the Spanish government restricted the use of its airspace to the US military. In response, Graham "warmly" recommended to Trump that he not leave the decision unanswered and even called for the withdrawal of US military bases on Spanish territory.
From critic to Trump ally
The senator's political trajectory took a turn regarding his stance on Donald Trump. During the 2016 campaign, in which he was one of many Republicans who lost the presidential nomination to Trump, he posted on social media: "If we nominate Trump we will be destroyed... and we will deserve it." A year earlier, he had defined him as a "religious fanatic, xenophobe and instigator of racism," and had assured that he represented neither the party nor Republican values.
Over time, however, he became one of his most regular confidants and golf partners. Despite this closeness, Graham publicly disapproved of Trump's decision to pardon some 1,500 supporters of the president who attacked the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, warning that this measure could encourage more violence.
Until the last moment, Graham was immersed in global diplomacy, and lately had focused his political activity on peace negotiations in Ukraine. From Kyiv, this week he had announced a new package of sanctions from Washington against the Kremlin to provide Trump with tools to facilitate the end of the conflict, and suggested that China could play a key role in pressuring Russia towards a negotiation table.
Graham's sudden death has caused surprise in many circles. Trump, in statements to CNN's "State of the Union," assured that he spoke to him by phone on Saturday night after he returned from Ukraine. "Apart from being tired, he was fine," he said. This uncertainty has left room for more daring theories. Far-right activist Laura Loomer, a former Republican candidate for Florida, has even suggested that Russia poisoned him.
A native of South Carolina, the state he represented in the Senate, he was the first member of his family to go to college, according to his biography on the official website. He graduated in law and, before making the leap to institutional politics, he served for six years as a military lawyer in the United States Air Force.
