The FBI is assisting local authorities following the death of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose office said the 71-year-old Republican died Saturday night after a “brief and sudden illness.”
FBI Director Kash Patel called Graham a “devoted public servant, a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot who dedicated his life to the people of South Carolina and the United States” in a statement Sunday.
Officials said the FBI was assisting local authorities following Graham’s death.
Graham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine on Friday during his tenth visit to the country. A defense hawk, Graham was a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.
He was also a consistent supporter of Israel and spent the final weeks of his life discussing efforts to secure normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia by November, before the next US Congress is sworn in, Axios reported Sunday, citing conversations with Graham over the previous couple of weeks.
Emergency crews were called to Graham’s home following a report of chest pain and later described performing CPR on a person experiencing apparent cardiac arrest, according to emergency audio reviewed by USA Today. Graham’s office did not disclose details about his illness.
Shortly before emergency responders arrived, Graham spoke by phone with President Donald Trump after recently returning from Ukraine.
“He said he’s a little tired. It’s a long trip, you know, many hours. And he had just gotten back,” Trump said during a July 12 phone interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
President Trump said responders appeared to have reached Graham’s home soon after the conversation ended.
“I mean, it must have been right after that because I understand the police, or whoever it is, came there about 7:30, 8 o’clock in the evening,” President Trump said, adding that they had planned to speak again.
“We thought we might even meet today. And then that was it,” the president said. “It could have been his last call. I don’t know exactly.”
