Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died Saturday night at the age of 71, and absolutely nobody saw it coming. As originally reported by Trending Views, emergency responders were dispatched to his Capitol Hill residence after a report of possible cardiac arrest. Paramedics transported him by stretcher to an ambulance. His family confirmed his passing and asked for privacy.
The man was in Kyiv literally two days before he died, meeting with President Zelenskyy about ending the war in Ukraine. That was his tenth trip to Ukraine since Russia's invasion, for anyone keeping score at home. He was also scheduled to appear on Meet the Press the very next morning, which would have been his 64th appearance on that show. Sixty four. The man was on Meet the Press more often than some of the hosts.
The official cause of death has not been confirmed, but all signs point to a sudden cardiac event. No known prior health conditions. No warning. Just a guy who never stopped moving until his body apparently decided to stop for him.
President Trump responded quickly, saying: "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead. He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed."
The tributes poured in from across the globe. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called him one of Israel's greatest friends. Zelenskyy called him a true defender of freedom. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised his commitment to the alliance. Senate Majority Leader Thune honored him as a strong advocate for freedom loving nations. When the leaders of multiple countries and international organizations all pause to say something nice about you, you were probably doing something right. Or you were everywhere all the time, which Graham absolutely was.
Graham served in the Air Force Reserve for over three decades before spending the rest of his career in the Senate. Love him or not, the guy showed up. He was still showing up in a war zone at 71 years old, which is more than most of us can say about showing up to the gym.
Now comes the political chess match. Graham had already locked up the Republican nomination for a fifth Senate term this past June. South Carolina law requires a special primary by August 11th to pick a new GOP nominee. Governor McMaster will appoint an interim senator to hold the seat until January 3rd. The general election rolls on in November against Democrat Annie Andrews.
South Carolina being South Carolina, the seat is expected to stay Republican. But the compressed timeline and the national spotlight on this whole situation guarantee it will not be a boring process. Political operatives in the Palmetto State are probably already making phone calls they had not planned on making this weekend.
Graham spent the better part of his adult life in service, first in uniform and then in the Senate. He died still working, still traveling, still doing the thing. Rest in peace, Senator.
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