US Senator Lindsey Graham passes away at 71 years old

US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has passed away at the age of 71. A statment from his office confirmed the death, saying the Senator suffered from a brief and sudden illness. It went on to say that his family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this period.

According to audio from police scanners obtained by NBC, Emergency personnel responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s home in Washington Saturday night.

Graham was seen as a staple of American political life for over 30 years. He first entered national US politics in 1992 as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He eventually became a Senator of South Carolina in 2003, serving in the upper chamber for over 20 years. Over the last year and a half, he had been serving as the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee.

The Senator was heavily involved in both Americans domestic and foreign policy until the very end, having met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv just last week.

Graham was also a fierce ally of Israel and its fight against Iran and its proxies. Israeli politicians like National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir are already offering their condolences. In a post on X, Ben Gvir wrote that Israel had lost one of its "greatest friends." He said Senator Graham stood with Israel "not because it was easy, but because he believed it was right."

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also wrote a note about Senator Graham. On X, Bennett wrote "America has lost a devoted patriot, and Israel has lost one of its greatest friedns."

Graham was up for re-election during the November midterms this year.