Lindsey Graham died ‘after phone call with Donald Trump’ as cause of death given | World | News
Lindsay Graham fell ill and died after her phone call with President Trump (Image: Getty)
One of Donald Trump’s closest allies has died after a “short and sudden” illness following a phone call with the US president.
Lindsey Graham, 71, died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
The senator had a complicated relationship with Trump, now described as “family,” but had previously described Trump as a “racist bigot.”
After opposing each other in the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump read Graham’s phone number at a rally in retaliation.
The two resolved their differences, and Graham was one of Trump’s most vocal supporters on the war in Iran.
The former air force reserve colonel was recently described by a former ally as a “war-hungry man” who caught Trump’s eye.
On Saturday night, Graham’s office shared a statement saying his family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”
The office later released more information about the cause of death.
Trump, who meets with Graham frequently, said that he was “like a member of the family, very difficult.”
He told NBC that Graham called him Saturday night after returning from a trip to Ukraine and “sounded a little tired but perfect.”
Following Graham’s death, the flag in front of the White House was lowered to half-staff (Image: Getty)
During the meeting, Trump told his friend, “Come whenever you want.”
Shortly thereafter, Graham is believed to have suffered a heart attack at his home on Capitol Hill.
Graham was known for calling for U.S. intervention abroad and for being outspoken on defense.
He led both the Senate Budget and Judiciary committees and said last month that the US would “obliterate” Iran if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
At the height of his rocky relationship with Trump in 2015, he warned: “If we nominate Trump, we will be destroyed… and we deserve it.”
But before burying the hatchet, he said in 2021: “All I can say is count me in. That’s enough.”
Following Graham’s death, Zelensky said: “Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid tribute to the senator: “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have also lost a dear friend.”
Under South Carolina law, Republican Governor Henry McMaster will appoint an interim replacement for Graham, who is running for a fifth term in November.
A new candidate will be selected in a special primary election that must be held within weeks of the vacancy. The winner of the November general election will begin their six-year term in January.
