Bangkok: Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent U.S. senator, has passed away at the age of 71. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died at the age of 71 after a sudden illness late Saturday evening local time (July 11).
According to Thai News Agency, Senator Lindsey Graham's office stated in a press release that he died after a short and sudden illness. The statement added that Graham's family requests privacy and prayers during this difficult time. Audio recordings and police scanner images examined by NBC News indicate that paramedics were alerted and responded to a cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home before he was transported to a hospital. Information indicates he had recently returned from Kyiv, Ukraine, after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, and was originally scheduled to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" program on Sunday.
Lindsey Graham is considered a highly influential figure in Congress. He was first elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1994 before winning the Senate seat for South Carolina in 2002. He is widely known as a hawkish expert on foreign policy and military affairs. He previously served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and, most recently, chaired the Senate Budget Committee. He is also one of President Donald Trump's closest and most loyal allies. Currently, he is campaigning for a fifth term in the Senate in the November election.