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Lindsey Graham Dies at 71, Prompting Tributes Across Washington and Abroad
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina at age 71 has prompted an outpouring of reactions from political leaders, colleagues and international figures who reflected on his decades-long career in American public life.
Graham reportedly died following a sudden medical emergency, bringing an end to a congressional career that spanned more than three decades and included influential roles in national security, judicial policy and foreign affairs.
A Career Spanning More Than Three Decades
Graham first entered Congress after winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.
Eight years later, he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate, beginning what would become a lengthy career representing South Carolina in Washington.
During his Senate tenure, Graham served on several influential committees and became particularly prominent on issues involving national defense, the judiciary, government spending and foreign policy.
His political evolution also became a defining feature of his career.
Once widely viewed as a traditional Republican defense hawk, Graham eventually emerged as one of former President Donald Trump's most prominent allies in the Senate.
That transformation made him an influential voice within the Republican Party and a frequent participant in debates over America's international strategy.
A Strong Advocate for National Defense
Graham spent much of his political career arguing that the United States should maintain a powerful military and strong alliances abroad.
He consistently supported increased defense capabilities and advocated a tougher approach toward countries considered threats to American national security.
Foreign policy remained one of the central themes of his Senate career.
He frequently spoke about Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East and America's relationships with strategic allies.
His positions often placed him at the center of major congressional debates involving sanctions, military assistance and international security.
Final Diplomatic Efforts
One of Graham's final major international engagements reportedly took place in Ukraine.
Shortly before his death, he traveled to Kyiv on July 10, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The discussions reportedly focused on legislation targeting Russian energy revenues and financial networks.
The proposed measures reflected Graham's longstanding position that economic pressure should be used alongside diplomatic and military tools to counter foreign adversaries.
His involvement in the negotiations underscored how heavily foreign policy remained intertwined with his political work until the end of his career.
Tributes From Washington and Around the World
News of Graham's death quickly generated reactions from political figures in the United States and abroad.
President Donald Trump issued a tribute recognizing Graham's years of public service and describing him as a dedicated patriot.
Other political leaders also reflected on Graham's role in shaping American foreign and defense policy.
International figures joined the tributes as well.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog reportedly praised Graham's commitment to America's alliances and his approach to international security.
For supporters, Graham's legacy was defined by his willingness to engage aggressively on issues of national defense and America's role overseas.
For critics, his political evolution—particularly his close relationship with Trump—was one of the most controversial aspects of his career.
Both perspectives illustrate the complicated political legacy he leaves behind.
A Major Loss for South Carolina
Graham's death also creates an immediate political transition in South Carolina.
According to the account, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to fill the remainder of the Senate term.
The appointment means the state will temporarily have a new representative in the upper chamber while the political process surrounding the seat moves forward.
Meanwhile, Senate lawmakers are expected to continue considering legislation and foreign policy initiatives associated with Graham's priorities.
A Complicated Political Legacy
Few lawmakers remain in Washington long enough to experience as many political transformations as Graham did.
He served through multiple presidential administrations, wars, changes in congressional leadership and major shifts within the Republican Party.
His career moved from the House to the Senate and from traditional conservative defense politics to a highly visible alliance with Donald Trump.
Through it all, national security remained one of the most consistent themes of his public career.
Whether discussing military spending, Russia, Ukraine, judicial appointments or America's relationships with foreign allies, Graham frequently placed himself at the center of consequential national debates.
His death therefore represents more than the loss of a longtime senator.
It marks the end of a political career that helped shape some of the most contentious foreign-policy and national-security debates of the past three decades.
As colleagues, supporters and international leaders remember his service, attention will now turn to the political consequences of his departure—and to the question of how South Carolina and the Senate will carry forward the issues that defined his final years in Washington.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
