Graham’s death narrows Senate GOP majority as Trump weighs successor
The death of Lindsey Graham removes a key Trump ally from the Senate as Republicans face fights over nominees, military funding and Ukraine policy.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
4 min read
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s death has cut into the Senate majority that President Donald Trump relies on to move nominees and funding bills. The loss also removes one of Trump’s closest congressional allies on foreign policy, including the US-Israel war on Iran and support for Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported.
Graham, 71, died after what his office first described as a “sudden and brief” illness, according to Al Jazeera. His office later said a preliminary medical examiner found that he died after a tear in his aorta, the body’s main artery.
US media reports cited by Al Jazeera said emergency services were called to Graham’s home on Saturday evening after he returned from a business trip to Kyiv. Graham had been scheduled to appear on an NBC news programme Sunday morning; Trump joined by phone instead.
Trump loses a Senate ally
Trump praised Graham on NBC as a politician who could work with both parties. “He’s a tough one to lose. He was great. He was unique in every way, actually,” Trump said, according to Al Jazeera.
The president said he and Graham spoke Saturday evening after the senator returned from Ukraine and had discussed possibly meeting Sunday. “It could have been his last call,” Trump said. He also said Graham was “like a member of the family to me.”
Trump credited Graham with helping win Democratic support when the White House needed votes. “He could go in and get something approved,” Trump told NBC. “I wouldn’t often ask, but if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out.”
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal also described Graham as a senator willing to talk across party lines. In a post on X cited by Al Jazeera, Blumenthal said Graham listened to people with opposing views and tried to find common ground despite major disagreements.
Senate math gets tighter
Al Jazeera reported that Graham’s death, combined with Senator Mitch McConnell’s hospitalisation after a fall, temporarily reduces the Republican Party’s effective Senate strength by two. McConnell said Sunday he would not return to the Senate “quite yet,” according to the report.
That leaves Republicans with a slimmer working margin as they seek to raise military funding and confirm Trump nominees before the midterm elections, Al Jazeera reported. The report said it remains unclear whether Graham’s death will affect Senate votes on continued funding for the war involving Iran.
Iranian state television marked Graham’s death with hostile language, according to Al Jazeera. The broadcaster’s anchor described him as a “warmongering and anti-Iranian US senator” and said he had “gone to hell.”
Ukraine policy loses a forceful backer
Graham was one of the strongest supporters in Congress of military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, Al Jazeera reported. A day before his death, he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that it was Graham’s 10th visit to Ukraine and said the country appreciated his support, according to Al Jazeera.
Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund of the United States told Al Jazeera that Graham represented a hawkish, security-focused strain of US foreign policy. Lesser said Graham’s backing for Ukraine and firm position toward Russia had helped pull US policy closer to the transatlantic mainstream.
Lesser also said Graham supported US alliances, including NATO, and that his absence could weaken Senate voices urging caution as Washington reviews its military posture in Europe.
South Carolina must fill the seat
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster must appoint a temporary successor to serve until January, Al Jazeera reported, citing state law. The state will also hold a special primary next month to choose a Republican nominee for the November general election.
The first primary vote is scheduled for August 11, with a runoff on August 25 if no candidate wins a majority, according to Al Jazeera. The report said it is not clear whom McMaster will appoint, and he could choose a placeholder who does not run for a full term.
Trump told NBC he has someone in mind but said he did not want to name the person so soon after Graham’s death. “I do have somebody that I think is really good,” Trump said, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.