Washington: US Senator Lindsey Graham, the influential South Carolina Republican who evolved from a vocal critic of Donald Trump into one of the president’s closest allies in Congress, has died at the age of 71.

Graham died following a “brief and sudden illness,” according to a statement posted by his office on X early Sunday. NBC News reported that emergency personnel responded to a cardiac arrest call at his Capitol Hill residence on Saturday night.

President Donald Trump paid tribute to Graham shortly after the announcement, describing him as “one of the greatest people and senators I have known” and a hard-working patriot.

A leading figure in Republican politics, Graham was known for his strong positions on national security and foreign policy. He was a prominent supporter of Israel and Ukraine and a vocal opponent of Iran.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he was deeply saddened by Graham’s death, describing him as a steadfast supporter of Israel during difficult periods.

Graham, a former Republican presidential candidate, was elected to the US Senate in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives, where he represented South Carolina’s 3rd congressional district beginning in 1995.

Over his Senate career, he served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and held positions on several key committees, including Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works.

Although Graham was an outspoken critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, their relationship later evolved into a close political alliance. He remained one of Trump’s most reliable supporters in the Senate, while occasionally disagreeing with the president on specific issues.

In recent years, Graham was actively involved in discussions surrounding the war in Ukraine and frequently advocated for stronger support for Kyiv. Just days before his death, he visited Ukraine and discussed military assistance and sanctions against Russia with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Graham was unmarried and lived in Seneca, South Carolina. His death marks the end of a political career that spanned more than three decades in Congress.