'Called Me Moments Before...': Trump Says He May Have Been Among The Last To Speak To Lindsey Graham
'Called Me Moments Before...': Trump Says He May Have Been Among The Last To Speak To Lindsey Graham Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026
'Called Me Moments Before...': Trump Says He May Have Been Among The Last To Speak To Lindsey Graham Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 19:49 IST Graham, an influential ally of Trump and a leading advocate of a hawkish US foreign policy, died unexpectedly at the age of 71, his office announced on Sunday. Rapid Read Trump said Lindsey Graham called him after returning from Ukraine and appeared to suggest he may have been among the last people to speak to the senator before his death. (IMAGE: AFP) US President Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to suggest that he may have been among the last people to speak to South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham before the latter died. Graham, an influential ally of Trump and a leading advocate of a hawkish US foreign policy, died unexpectedly at the age of 71, his office announced on Sunday. He was a staunch supporter of the Iran war and, in recent years, had urged both the Trump and Biden administrations to back Kyiv in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
Although Graham had bitterly opposed Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, he later became one of the president’s closest allies. Trump, during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, described Graham as a “natural" politician. The US president also revealed that Graham had called him after returning from Ukraine. “Well, it’s devastating. I thought he was fine. He called me last night. He just got back from Ukraine. And he had a great time. He was telling me about the trip. He was working very, very hard, because we know he wanted to make America happy," Trump told Tapper. “He was talking about that. He was full of vim and vigor. He was tired. He said, ‘I’m tired, because it’s a long trip.’ But other than that, he was fine. And he called me, I guess, moments before, because he called me like 6:30 or something. And the medical people got there a little bit later, right?
What a terrible loss it is." According to NBC News, emergency services responded to a call reporting a “cardiac arrest" at Graham’s Capitol Hill residence on Saturday night, citing police scanner audio obtained by the broadcaster and other media outlets. “He’s a great politician. He was a natural — a very natural politician. He got along with everybody," Trump added. Graham was also one of Israel’s strongest supporters in the US Congress and a vocal backer of military action against Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to Graham, saying: “Lindsey is a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine." “Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world," Netanyahu added. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18.
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