US Senator, Trump aide, Lindsey Graham passes away at 71
What's the story
United States Senator Lindsey Graham has passed away at the age of 71. His office confirmed the news on Sunday, stating that he died after a "brief and sudden illness." The statement also requested privacy for Graham's family during this difficult time. Graham was known to be a close aide of US President Donald Trump.
Career highlights
Graham's political career
Graham was first elected to the US Senate in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020. He made history as the first South Carolinian to receive over one million votes in a general election during his 2008 campaign. Before his political career, Graham served as a lawyer in the US Air Force for six years after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a law degree. He left active duty in 1989.
Diplomatic efforts
His last public appearance
In 1994, Graham became the first Republican to represent South Carolina's Third Congressional District in Washington since 1877. Graham's last public appearance was in Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky. During the visit, he spoke about the possibility of China mediating peace between Ukraine and Russia. "The road to ending this war...passes through Beijing more than it does (through) Washington, Kyiv, or Moscow," he said.