US senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of Donald Trump, has died from a sudden illness, his office said in the early hours of Sunday. He had just turned 71.
Graham’s death will send shockwaves through Washington and the Republican party. He has served in the Senate since 2003, representing South Carolina.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
Graham, a retired air force reserve colonel who specialised as a military lawyer, was known as a hawk who supported the Iraq war and had long urged military action in Iran. He has been one of Trump’s most outspoken defenders in the current conflict.
He ran for president in 2016 and was a sharp critic of Trump but later became on his most loyal backers on Capitol Hill.
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