Influential US Senator Lindsey Graham has died suddenly at the age of 71, sending shockwaves through the Republican party and casting doubt on the midterms in South Carolina. Once a staunch opponent turned loyal ally to Donald Trump, Mr Graham is being remembered for his quick wit, influence on Trump, and hawkish US foreign policy.
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TRANSCRIPT:
“I said, you gotta – I just can't believe it. He was like a member of the family to me. It's very tough, actually.”
That's US President Donald Trump, speaking after the passing of his influential ally Lindsey Graham.
The senator had represented South Carolina for 23 years and died unexpectedly from an aortic dissection days after his 71st birthday, and just one day after he returned from a trip to Ukraine.
Donald Trump told NBC's Meet the Press that Mr Graham didn't mention feeling unwell.
“Nothing. No. He said he's a little tired. He went on a long trip, you know, many hours. And he had just gotten back and he, I mean, it must have been right after that because I understand the police or whoever it is, came there at about 7:30, 8:00 in the evening, something like that. So somebody notified them. But no, he felt okay. I mean, I actually, on the, on the call, he told me, Kirsten, and he said, you know, I feel good, but I'm tired.”
Ten years ago, Lindsey Graham was a fierce critic of Donald Trump, warning voters against the then-Presidential candidate.
"He's a race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. He is shallow. He's ill prepared to be commander in chief. He doesn't know what he's talking about in terms of how our laws work. He says the worst things possible about immigrants and women, and he's a complete idiot when it comes to Mideast policy."
But like many others in the Republican party, Mr Graham shifted his public opinion of Trump, later becoming one of his greatest allies.
"People don't realise what a good politician he was. He could, he could go in and get something approved. He would, he would just get people on his side. He was really a talented uniter. You probably never heard me say that about anybody because, you know, there aren't too many of them. Let me tell you.”
The Republican senator was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994, before being elected to the Senate in 2002.
Just last month, he defeated five opponents to win the Republican primary in his bid for a fifth term.
Now, with the midterm elections coming up in November and the Republican party already holding a weak majority in the Senate, his passing has sent shock waves through the party.
Research Director at the US Studies Centre, Jared Mondschein, says the Republicans in South Carolina have a big decision to make as they scramble to find his replacement.
"Governor McMaster, who was one of the first sitting politicians to endorse Donald Trump in 2016, he will name Lindsey Graham's immediate successor, but then they will also have a general election in November because he was up for election, and he had just won his Republican nomination against a handful of competitors. And so now the Republican Party in South Carolina will need to decide the next steps and for who will be their nominee against the Democratic nominee who's already been named."
The President has told NBC he already has someone in mind.
“I have somebody that I think would be great, but I don't want to say it now because it just, you know, it's too soon with Lindsey. I don't want to even talk about anybody. But I do have somebody that I think is really good.”
While Senator Graham's death was sudden, there has long been concern over the health of others in Congress.
The weeks long hospitalisation of Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell continues to rattle the party, who hold a narrow 53-47 majority in the US Senate.
Jared Mondschein says the Republican party can't afford to lose any more seats.
"The Republican Party and the Senate is already in danger. There's not a lot of margin. It depends on who's actually coming to the office or not, but there's only a couple of seats difference between the Republicans and the Democrats in the Senate. And so, I think having two Republicans out of action is not all that advantageous to Republicans. With that said, there is not a lot of major legislation that the Trump administration is, beyond the SAVE Act, is hoping to pass anytime soon. I think on the whole, we're in a bit of a holding pattern before the midterms. Now that the housing bill will essentially become law, the rest of the legislative agenda is sort of on hiatus until the midterm elections in November."
Meanwhile, as the party weighs up these issues ahead of the crucial midterms, both Republican and Democratic Senators have paid tribute to the late Congressman.
Republican Senator Tim Scott says Graham was a loyal friend to those he loved.
"I started a South Carolina prayer breakfast for all of those of us who live in in DC, and I called Lindsey in my first year and said, Lindsey, will you please come to my prayer breakfast at 8:30 in the morning? Lindsey says, ‘I'm not coming. If Jesus comes back before 10 a.m.’ and Kristen, that dude made me laugh so loud at a prayer breakfast. And then, of course, at 8:31, who walks through the door? Lindsey Graham, he was that kind of friend. He was committed to the people he loves.”
California Democrat Adam Schiff says Mr Graham always knew what the President was thinking.
“I think those of us in the Senate, as well as around the world, understood how close he was to the president. Many of us considered him the Trump whisperer. If we wanted to know what the president's thinking was or how we might be moved on something, you would go to Lindsey to discuss it."
Graham had supported the war on Iraq, as well as US interventions in Libya and Syria.
Mr Graham also consistently pushed for US support in Israel and Ukraine and was a strong backer of the war in Iran.
At one point he suggested Israel would be justified in using nuclear weapons on Gaza.
Jared Mondschein says Graham was majorly influential on Congress as a staunch supporter of interventionist US foreign policy.
"I think Lindsey Graham is rare for being one of the most influential voices in Congress on specific issues, especially when it comes to foreign policy and when it comes to US engagement in foreign policy in specific areas, especially when it comes to Israel, Ukraine, and NATO. I think Lindsey Graham is one of the most influential and impactful US senators on these issues."
In his home state of South Carolina, local Colin Ross has said that while many politicians loved Graham, his commitment to Israel sometimes went too far.
"I think he'll be more missed in Tel Aviv than he will be in Seneca. But, you know, there's people here that like him, obviously. He's had a very strong constituency. He's also had a long history with the Republican Party. Being known. I mean, a lot of people will call him a sellout, I guess. But, yeah, I don't really know. It's time for South… I mean, we have a long tradition of keeping senators for a very long time. And we definitely needed some new fresh blood up in D.C. I think when you got Lindsey Graham talking about Israel's more important South Carolina and you have national disasters like hurricanes and stuff hitting, you made a lot of people that aren't necessarily in the political world that don't really like him very much.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered his own condolences, saying the country is grieving.
“I think America has lost a great patriot, Israel has lost one of the great champions of the American-Israeli alliance and, frankly, I've lost a beloved friend who I've had for many decades. There's just no one like him.”
