Washington, July 12 (IANS) US Senator Lindsey Graham, a powerful Republican voice on national security and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies, has died after a brief and sudden illness. He was 71.

Graham died on Saturday evening, hours after returning from Ukraine, his office said. His family asked for prayers and privacy.

Trump told NBC News that he had spoken with Graham shortly before his death. The senator had called to discuss the Save America Act after returning from his trip.

“He sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired. Had a right to be,” Trump said. “He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough, actually.”

Trump described Graham as “unique in every way” and a gifted politician who could work across party lines.

“He was somebody that loved our country, and he fought very hard for the country,” Trump said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Graham was “a devoted public servant, a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot”. He added that the FBI was assisting local authorities and had made “every necessary resource available”.

Tributes came from across the political divide and abroad.

Vice President JD Vance recalled clashing with Graham over Ukraine funding before learning that Graham was quietly supporting rail legislation important to him.

“He fought like hell for the things he believed in, and he was just as willing to go to bat for you when it counted,” Vance said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Graham “a patriot and dedicated public servant” who devoted decades to defending South Carolina and the United States.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley said Graham never stopped fighting for the state. “Through his military service and years in public office, he gave his all to protect America and our freedom-loving allies,” she said.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said he had been with Graham at the NATO summit in Turkiye last week. Graham was then trying to develop a Senate strategy to end the war in Ukraine.

“He was a fierce Republican partisan one day and a key bipartisan ally the next,” Durbin said. “His word was good—no cheap shots.”

Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, remembered Graham as a fierce advocate for national security and the armed forces. “Lindsey and I disagreed on plenty over the years, but I never doubted his love for this country or his commitment to serving it,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The two had met twice in the past week.

“America and the world have lost a determined leader,” Zelenskyy said.

Graham was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994 and entered the Senate in 2003. Before entering Congress, he served as a lawyer in the US Air Force and later in its reserve components.

He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and initially emerged as a sharp Trump critic. He later became one of Trump’s strongest Senate allies while retaining a reputation for working with Democrats on national security, immigration and judicial matters.

--IANS

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