By Tanya Metaksa
Whether you loved him or hated him, nobody can dispute that Lindsey Graham had a significant impact on virtually every foreign policy issue under the sun.
This is particularly the case with Trump, who genuinely seemed to care about Graham’s views and often leaned on him to sell his decisions on Capitol Hill,” said Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington, DC-based think tank that advocates for U.S. military restraint.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington, DC after returning from his 10th trip to Ukraine. He had been scheduled to appear on “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning. Upon learning the news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “deeply saddened” by the news, describing the senator as a “true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.”
Additionally Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, also paid tribute, saying, “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” he said in a statement.
Much of the national commentary explicitly address the foreign policy implications after his death. The Washington Examiner discusses his role as a key institutional link between Reagan‑style interventionist Republicans and Trump’s MAGA movement, and argues that his death “severs the last major institutional link” between those camps in the Senate, with implications for Ukraine support, Iran policy, and sanctions politics.
The Media Line headline read, “Lindsey Graham’s Death Leaves Void in Defense and Diplomacy” stating that his death as creating a vacuum in congressional defense and diplomatic advocacy, particularly on Ukraine, Israel, NATO ties, and hawkish Iran policy, with attention to how other Republicans and Trump’s circle may or may not fill that role.
The lead from Fortune magazine reads, “Sen. Lindsey Graham, a foreign policy hawk who became a close Trump ally, dies suddenly at 71” and continues to details his influence on Iran, Russia, Ukraine and Israel, including recent Russia sanctions work.
On the Second Amendment issue he was always a supportive vote, and had led the Senate Judiciary Committee when Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020. He was in line to regain that gavel if the party kept control of the Senate after this year’s midterms.
Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster appointed a temporary replacement to serve out the remainder of Senator Lindsey Graham’s current term until early January, before voters select a long‑term successor in November following a special Republican primary this summer. Fox News reported the governor appointed Graham’s sister to fill the post for now. She is Darline Graham Nordone, who was recommended for the post by President Donald Trump, signaling his preference for a successor who would symbolically continue Graham’s legacy while maintaining loyalty to Trump’s wing of the party. Trump’s recommendation increases political pressure on McMaster to weigh Nordone seriously alongside more traditional political figures, and it ensures that any appointment decision will be read not only as a matter of state governance but also as a test of the governor’s alignment with the Trump White House and the national Republican leadership.
Early speculation had focused on prominent Republicans with existing statewide profiles or close ties to the governor, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who has been mentioned as a leading option due to her longstanding relationship with McMaster and previous backing from President Trump in her own statewide race. Other names circulating in state political circles include established members of the congressional delegation and party leadership who could step in quickly and reliably align with the state GOP’s priorities in the closely divided Senate.
Senator Graham has had a distinguished career in the U.S. Senate. When the Republicans have been in the majority he has led important committees and served on others. NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte, summarized Graham’s influence as “a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” underscoring his clout in the Senate and on trans‑Atlantic security.
