The sudden death of longtime U.S. senator Lindsey Graham has repercussions for the country’s politics and could tip the balance of power in the U.S. Congress ahead of midterm elections scheduled for later this year.
The 71-year-old Republican politician was a close ally in the Senate with President Donald Trump on both domestic and international issues, including the ongoing war against Iran.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
So how will his death affect President Trump’s policies? And how will that affect the Senate?
Here’s what we know:
What did Trump say about Graham’s death?
According to US media reports, emergency services were called to Mr Graham’s residence on Saturday night, shortly after he returned from a business trip to the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
Graham’s office initially announced that he died after a “sudden and short-term” illness. A preliminary medical examiner later announced that he had died from a ruptured aorta. The aorta is the main and largest artery of the human body, and its dissection is life-threatening.
Mr. Graham was scheduled to appear on NBC’s news talk show Sunday morning. Instead, Mr. Trump attended the program, drawing praise from members of both major U.S. political parties for his late ally as a “naturally hard-working politician who was good at dealing with people.”
“He’s a tough guy to lose. He was great. In fact, he was unique in every way,” Trump said on the phone.
He said they spoke on Saturday night after Graham returned from Ukraine and made tentative plans to meet on Sunday. “This may have been our last call,” Trump said.
He added that he couldn’t believe Graham had passed away. “He was like a family member to me.”
What does his death mean for the Senate?
Sen. Mitch McConnell said Sunday that Graham’s death has shrunk the Senate’s Republican majority to 51 seats in the 100-member chamber. He was hospitalized after a fall and said he would not return to the Senate “yet.”
Graham’s death and McConnell’s absence will temporarily reduce the House’s Republican majority by two members from the Democratic caucus’s 47 members.
The diminished majority could create difficulties for Republicans as they seek to increase military funding and finalize President Trump’s nominees for the midterm elections.
It is unclear whether Mr. Graham’s death will influence the Senate’s vote on continuing war funding as the United States continues its attack on Iran.
But on Sunday, Iranian state television announced his death in openly hostile language. “Congratulations to the great Iranian people that warmonger and anti-Iranian U.S. senator Lindsey Graham has gone to hell,” the anchor said.
Trump said Graham knew how to compromise with Democrats and get them to approve the president’s policies.
“He could step in and get something approved,” Trump told NBC on Sunday. “He just tried to get people on his side. I didn’t ask too much, but if you had a problem with the Democrats, he would solve it.”
Also on Sunday, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said on X that while his views often differed from Graham’s, “he listened to me and others who might have opposing views and tried to bridge our differences.”
“Even though we disagreed on important points, he never stopped and tried to find common ground wherever possible,” he posted.
What will be the US position towards Ukraine?
Mr. Graham was one of the strongest advocates in Congress for military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
The day before his death, he had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev. “This is already the president’s 10th visit to our country, and I am grateful for this support,” Zelenskiy wrote in X magazine.
Ian Lesser, a distinguished fellow at the German Marshall Fund and an adviser to the president, told Al Jazeera that apart from his various relationships with Trump and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, Graham represented a hawkish, security-led approach to U.S. foreign policy.
“His supportive stance on Ukraine and tough stance on Russia have certainly brought U.S. policy closer to the transatlantic mainstream, even in an administration leaning toward a different approach,” he said.
“He also crystallized a more assertive stance toward America’s alliances, particularly NATO, in a way that is reflected elsewhere in the Senate, a view that could shape the ongoing debate about America’s security presence in Europe,” Lesser noted.
“His defeat could dampen these more cautious voices as the United States reviews its military posture in the theater,” it added.
Who will replace Graham?
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster will have to choose a temporary replacement for Mr. Graham, whose term runs through January, while the state is also preparing a special primary to allow voters to choose a new Republican candidate for the general election.
“In the event of a vacancy in the office of a United States senator due to death, resignation, or other cause, the Governor may fill the office by appointment,” the law states.
A primary election will be held next month to determine who will succeed him as the Republican candidate. The first round of voting is scheduled for August 11th, and if no candidate receives a majority of votes, a runoff election will be held on August 25th.
It is currently unclear who McMaster will choose to replace Graham. The governor could appoint an alternative candidate to fill the seat without seeking a full term in the November midterm elections to avoid disrupting the electoral process.
But in Mr. Graham’s case, the White House may intervene. Trump has indicated he is considering running a candidate to replace him in the Senate.
“There are people who think it’s great, but I don’t want to talk to Lindsay right now because it’s too early,” the president told NBC News on Sunday.
“I don’t want to talk about anyone, but there are some people I think are really good.”
