South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham who was 71 has died on Saturday night after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office confirmed.
Graham, a close Trump ally often called the “Trump Whisperer,” had just returned from a trip to Ukraine the day before his death.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said.
As per the Independent, US media reported that emergency personnel had responded to reports of a cardiac arrest at Graham’s Washington home Saturday night.
EMS rushed Lindsey Graham from his Washington home
According to TMZ, emergency medical workers responded to Graham’s Washington, DC, home on Saturday night after reports of a medical emergency. Exclusive photos published by the outlet showed the South Carolina senator being wheeled out of his residence on a gurney while paramedics gave him emergency treatment.
Graham appeared to be intubated as paramedics lifted him into an ambulance, according to TMZ.
Here are the photos:
Also Read: Lindsey Graham dies. How South Carolina’s small-town boy rose to become Trump’s trusted ally
FBI assisting local authorities
The FBI is assisting local authorities following Graham’s death, officials said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that the agency “is assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available.
It was not immediately clear how the FBI would be involved, or whether there was any investigation into the death.
Also Read: Trump says Lindsey Graham called him hours before his death: ‘He was tired because of long trip’
What we know about his death
According to reports, Graham had returned to the US from Ukraine, where he was working with the Trump administration on new sanctions against Russia. He had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, just a day before he died, with no known health concerns before the trip.
President Trump told CNN he had spoken to Graham by phone the night before his death and the senator seemed fine.
President Trump called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” in a Truth Social post. And also described him as a “true American Patriot” who would be “greatly missed.”
