By THE ALASKA STORY
June 12, 2026 – US Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the Republican Party’s most recognizable voices on national security and foreign policy, died Saturday evening after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” He was 71.
Graham had served in the Senate since 2003 after eight years in the House of Representatives. A former Air Force Reserve judge advocate, he became a leading Republican voice on military affairs, judicial nominations, and foreign policy. In recent years he was among President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress after beginning as one of Trump’s sharpest critics during the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
His office released a brief statement early Sunday announcing his passing and asking for privacy for his family. President Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” and “a true American Patriot.” Tributes also came from leaders in the United States and abroad, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom Graham had visited in Kyiv just days before his death.
While Graham never developed deep personal roots in Alaska, his work frequently intersected with the state’s interests through defense and Arctic policy.
As a longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and later chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham consistently supported robust military spending, missile defense, and strengthening America’s strategic posture in the Arctic. Those priorities aligned closely with Alaska’s role as home to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright, Clear Space Force Station, and other key military installations.
Graham worked alongside Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan on defense appropriations, military readiness, and national security legislation over more than two decades in the Senate. Although he was not closely identified with Alaska-specific legislation and was not known as a frequent visitor to the state, he was a reliable supporter of the defense policies that have brought billions of dollars in military investment to Alaska over the years.
He also collaborated with Murkowski on several high-profile Senate votes, including the closely watched 2017 debate over health care legislation, while maintaining a generally collegial working relationship with both members of Alaska’s Senate delegation.
Graham’s death leaves a vacancy in South Carolina’s Senate delegation. Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim senator until a special election can be held.
Although Alaska’s connection to Graham was largely institutional rather than personal, his long advocacy for a strong U.S. military and Arctic security made him a familiar figure in issues important to the 49th state. His passing marks the end of more than three decades in Congress and more than 20 years in the Senate.
Another Republican senator, Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, age 84, is hospitalized after he was admitted on June 14 following a medical emergency at his home, with reports and dispatch audio indicating a possible cardiac arrest requiring CPR.
25 thoughts on “Lindsey Graham, longtime senator from South Carolina, dies after ‘brief and sudden illness’”
Bloodthirsty traitorous homosexual that never passed up an opportunity for sending others sons to war. He will not be missed.
Micah,
You are a nasty POS. He was homosexual. Aren’t you? Where is your loyalty to the LGBTQ?
.
Lindsey was a true convert to Trumpism and patriotism. That’s where your hate lies. Go bury your head, …..asshole.
Lindsey Graham was a good friend to Israel and NATO. God bless this man.
The state of Israel is a genocidal rouge state. And we are complicit in their Greater Israel project. Graham supported them unconditionally and sought more death.
The rump state of Ukraine has been goaded down the primrose path of war by NATO (and most of the Europeans). It is a war they can never win. Graham was just in Kiev promising more weapons and money- weapons we do not have for our own military and money we must borrow.
We are 40 trillion in debt. Our replacement rate is 1.67. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Many young couples do not see a way to buy a house and start a family. Our currency continues to be devalued by increasing debt and inflation.
And Lindsey Graham bayed for constant war and lived a dissolute unrepentant lifestyle in open rebellion to God- both of which have caused so much destruction to our society. I am glad this evil man who contributed nothing good is now dead.
“When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
When the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”
– Proverbs 11:10
As an aside, what are you “conservatives” conserving? Look at the wreckage of our current society and culture. Modern conservatives are just progressives driving the speed limit. You are pathetic.
Graham was also a borders guy. American security from foreigners who trying to rape the US taxpayers and American women. Micah sounds like a brainwashed Marxist and Biden apologist who hates America and Conservatives. I fully concur with Rick above.
This Micah is a full-blown Commie.
We will eventually eliminate these woke mental midgets.
I am to the right of you fools. Actually read what I wrote and get a clue.
Maybe that is beyond you…
Micah is a NAZI Jew hater. That part is abundantly clear. Probably a homophobe too, not to mention a thoroughly mixed-up nutcase with no sense of true historical fact.
You seem nice. /s
Israel is so mean and nasty they warn everyone before they strike against those who are actively BLOWING UP JEWS. Don’t want to get dead by the IDF? Quit killing sovereign citizens of Israel.
Likewise, Arabs make up a considerable portion of the Knesset. How many Jews sit on government boards in Gaza? Oh, yeah, not one.
Did Lindsey Graham ever flaunt his sex life in your face? No, he didn’t. Whatever your problems are with the world, they appear to come from inside you and not anyone else.
Oh, and Micah? The Nazis are likewise to the right of us. So I guess that’s right where you belong.
Micah, has bought the Jew hater movement hook, line and sinker. Israel is the ONLY Democratic country in the Middle East and our only reliable ally. This movement runs deep on uneducated people who have no historical foundation of fact. And they will use biblical passages to support their assertions. They are really no different than the Communist/Marxists who live in America today. The enemies of
American patriotism. They too have been brainwashed by has beens like Tucker Carlson. Do not trust them.
Micah likely isn’t a Nazi, perhaps he’s an antisemite and Jew hater…he’s generally done a good job to not espouse that here the way others have previously, but he’s likely not a Nazi. Nazism is a leftwing ideology, to the right of Communism and various other forms of socialism, but still very much a leftwing ideology. Micah informed us here some time ago of a movement on the right called the woke right, you can read about it here https://newdiscourses.com/2025/07/a-beginners-guide-to-the-woke-right/ I think it’s much more likely that he aligns with the woke right than with Nazism.
Can y’all hear yourselves? It is like a chorus of “Burn the witch!” and about as intellectually astute.
Lord alive, if you think I am a communist that you don’t know what a communist is. No wonder we on the right have lost the culture. You are interacting with a rightist independent, three time Trump voter, a traditionalist, and an America Firster. Me and the many like me ought to be an easy vote for a republican this cycle. Betraying the campaign promises of no war, mass deportations, and a no holds bar assault against the Epstein class and administrative state has broken our coalition. People like Graham were never America First and actively sought to betray America First. And y’all are defending him.
There is no difference between a lying marxist and a lying neocon MIGI.
Bloodthirsty traitor, yes, lots of evidence for that. Homosexual, none.
Micah?
Yes, exactly correct.
Sad day for gay male escorts in DC.
Lisa is so happy now. With Mitch out of voting and Lindsey’s seat open, the R’s have to grovel back to her. She’s loving it!
His seat won’t be open long, SC has a Republican governor. And rules to appoint same party as the vacancy.princess need not hold her breath waiting for that groveling
The Senator did a lot of good things. I regret his passing. I did find his constant advocacy for military action virtually anywhere and everywhere to be distressing. Putting Americans in harm’s way should occur only with forethought and care. RIP.
He definitely fought for what he believed in and served his Country. I’d prefer that elected officials not die while in office, but the longer these politicians cling to the reigns of power the more frequently it will happen.
Or that the baby boomer and GenXer spouse will die while their spouse is still in office or their spouse will die while their partner is running for office as Alaska saw earlier this summer with onr gubernatorial candidate
I have doubts about baby boomers being could leaders
I still remember photographs of him being overly nice to Pelosi like they were best friends in Jan 2021.
You have to be careful whom you are seen around or smiling at, if they got bad character, poor work ethics, and dishonest. Then onlookers assume you are just like the lazy as the lazy butt because they see you looking like you two are besties. Then it didn’t help his character that his state GOP tried to replace him calling him out as a Rhino.
I think people today think nice about today’s leaders who are dying because they are wealthy. But. I doubt today’s leaders (even those who were Americas leaders in the 1930’s-2000’s) were all that good as a leader nor left America and their states in better shape for the next generation of leaders after they departed office.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of comments from sick sad people who never were taught to avoid speaking badly of the departed. Over his 31 years in Congress and the Senate Graham was instrumental in enacting some of the most important legislation promoting conservative causes, such as Gingrich’s Contract With America, Trump’s tax cuts, and the confirmation of every conservative Justice on the current Supreme Court bench appointed since Thomas. Graham had his faults by never missing an opportunity to get in front of the camera, by being too willing to compromise with RINOs, or always pushing for military action, but when Republican Presidents since Bush Jr. needed support to pass critical legislation, Graham was always there.
How do we not know he is not in Hell? While he was living here, he didn’t use his elevated position to influence his colleagues, his state GOP, his district neighbors to turn to Christ. Today’s GOP must like DNR, they both are equally wicked. Where are the leaders to speak up and speak against their state leaders and district leaders or courage to replace party leaders?
Most leaders of America don’t do that.
It’s like they don’t care about one another or where they are going to spend eternity. I think they don’t. Because they are comfortable in their Anchorage hillside-like or Potter valley-like estate homes, they have everything they need and life seems good around them that everybody else around them is doing good and nothing is missing.
You know that in bible Jesus talked more about Hell than his second return or heaven? We here don’t wonder nor talk enough about Hell such as Where do you think so in so is?
Here these leaders have the ears of thousands of voters of their districts and they don’t even use the platform God gave to them!!! to influence and share the saving grace and salvation of God by His son’s precious blood.
I have doubts about baby boomers being good leaders. To be fair. GenX and millennial leaders are crappy too!
I still remember photographs of him being overly nice to Pelosi like they were best friends in Jan 2021.
You have to be careful whom you are seen around or smiling at, if they got bad character, poor work ethics, and dishonest. Then onlookers assume you are just like the lazy as the lazy butt because they see you looking like you two are besties. Then it didn’t help his character that his state GOP tried to replace him calling him out as a Rhino.
I think people today think nice about today’s leaders who are dying because they are wealthy. But. I doubt today’s leaders (even those who were Americas leaders in the 1930’s-2000’s) were all that good as a leader nor left America and their states in better shape for the next generation of leaders after they departed office.