U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71

AFP

Lindsey Graham.

Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2003 and was a close political ally of President Donald Trump, has died, his office confirmed early Sunday. He was 71.

Graham died Saturday night “from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement continued.

Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was seeking a fifth six-year Senate term in November. He was one of the most well-known members of the chamber and a key voice within the party on defense and international affairs.

Emergency personnel responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s Capitol Hill home on Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News.

Photographs reviewed by NBC News show that paramedics carried a person on a stretcher from Graham’s home to an awaiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also on site.

Graham was fresh off a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.

The incident comes as fellow Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell remains in the hospital after paramedics responded to a call at a known residence last month for an individual experiencing cardiac arrest.

A McConnell spokesperson has said the former GOP majority leader is continuing to recover, but his team has not provided further details about his condition.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is one of the most prominent advocates for the Kurdish cause in the U.S. Congress, widely recognized for his steadfast support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the broader Kurdish population in Iraq and Syria. 

Alongside Senator Richard Blumenthal, Graham introduced the Save the Kurds Act, in response to the Syrian government forces’ repeated attacks on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The legislation would impose sanctions on Syrian government officials and financial institutions, and foreign individuals who engage in any transaction, including military or financial support, with the Syrian government.

“I believe that there is strong bipartisan support for the idea of protecting the Kurds in Syria and beyond because they have been such a reliable ally to the United States. The SDF – with a large Kurdish element – took the brunt of the fight to defeat ISIS in President Trump’s first term. I realize Syria is complicated culturally, ethnically and politically. However, attacking the Kurds greatly diminishes the United States’ standing and will hinder Syria’s ability to grow as a country. To those countries or groups who believe it is open season on the Kurds in Syria without consequence, you will be sadly mistaken,” said Graham.

“I believe we need to protect the Kurds in Syria and take action to ensure they are protected from any retribution or revenge by the Syrian government,” said Blumenthal.

Source: NBC



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