Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina who spent more than three decades in Congress and became one of the most prominent voices for an internationally engaged American foreign policy, died unexpectedly at age 71 on Saturday night after what the Washington, D.C. medical examiner's office said was a rupture in his aorta.
Graham traveled the globe for years promoting a vision of the United States as a nation willing to use its military might to protect democracies around the world. He represented a bridge between President Donald Trump's "America First" approach and the traditional Washington consensus prioritizing alliances with Europe and Israel — a worldview that has fallen out of favor with many in both political parties.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican foreign policy hawks and international allies mourned Graham as an irreplaceable voice for American global leadership in an increasingly isolationist political environment.
Paul Foldi, a former diplomat and top Republican staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Graham "one of the last titans of the Senate who favored a muscular and engaged U.S. foreign policy."
"He is irreplaceable," Foldi said.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Graham as "a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia's war against Ukraine." Rutte's predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, lauded Graham's "tireless commitment" to NATO and his "staunch support" for Ukraine.
Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said his country would remember Graham as "a steadfast friend, a strong supporter of NATO's eastern flank, and an unwavering advocate for Ukraine."
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats and former Obama administration officials offered measured assessments of Graham's legacy, acknowledging his work on Ukraine while criticizing aspects of his foreign policy positions.
Dan Baer, a former State Department official under President Barack Obama who now works at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Graham deserved credit for helping push Trump to retain some support for Ukraine. But Baer noted that Graham also advocated for the president to attack Iran, sparking what Baer argues is an ongoing conflict the U.S. is losing.
"His moral flexibility over the last few years has been disappointing to many who saw him as a principled patriot," Baer said. "I don't think the historic record of Lindsey Graham's foreign policy record will be black and white."
Recent polling shows potential political consequences for unconditional support of Israel, which Graham championed. An AP-NORC poll found that 58% of Democrats say the U.S. gives Israelis too much support, reflecting a shift among progressive voters on Middle East policy.
What the Numbers Show
Graham made 10 trips to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice in the final week before his death. His last public act was announcing an agreement with the Trump administration on a sanctions package against Russia.
On Iran, Graham long backed policies aimed at isolating Tehran and limiting its missile and nuclear programs. He cheered Trump's decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites last year and supported the ongoing conflict there.
The generational shift in Republican attitudes toward foreign intervention presents challenges for Graham's legacy. Younger Republicans are more likely than older counterparts to say the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, according to polling data.
The Bottom Line
Graham leaves behind a complicated foreign policy inheritance at a moment when his core convictions face their stiffest political headwinds. While tributes poured in from NATO allies and Ukrainian leadership, Graham remained largely silent as Trump dismantled USAID, questioned NATO's value, suggested using military force against allies to acquire Greenland, and praised leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The senator's death removes one of the most recognizable Republican voices for continued support of Ukraine at a time when that commitment has become politically contested. How Congress navigates that void — particularly on sanctions against Russia and aid to Kyiv — will be among the first tests of whether Graham's vision survives him.