Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s best non-Jewish friends, died after a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary medical examiner’s finding shared by his office.

The tear in the inner wall of the aorta, called an aortic dissection, was related to the hardening of Graham’s arteries. An official cause of death will be disclosed after toxicological and microscopic testing.

In August 2025, Graham delivered an impassioned speech in support of Israel at a recent major fundraising gala for the South Carolina Republican Party, slamming the world’s portrayal of Israel as the “bad guy” and warning that America will face Divine judgment if it stops supporting Israel.

“Tonight Israel is in a fight for their lives,” Graham said. “Our friends in Israel are surrounded by people who would kill them all if they could.”

“I am tired of the word ‘genocide.’ Let me tell you about genocide. If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they could. They have the capability to do that. They choose not to. Hamas would commit genocide in 30 seconds. They just can’t. And that’s the big difference, folks.”

“To people in my party: I’m tired of this. Israel is our friend, the most reliable friend we have in the Mideast. They’re a democracy surrounded by people who would cut their throats if they could. This is not a hard choice if you’re an American. It’s not a hard choice if you’re a Christian. A word of warning–if America pulls the plug on Israel, G-d will pull the plug on us. So we’re not going to let that happen.”

Graham, a prominent South Carolina Republican and former Air Force lawyer who served in Congress for more than three decades, had turned 71 years old just two days before dying on Saturday night. His office had originally said he had suffered from a “brief and sudden illness.”

Trump, who talked to Graham frequently, said he was “like a member of the family. It’s very tough.” He said on NBC’s ”Meet the Press” that Graham had called him on Saturday night after returning from a trip to Ukraine and “sounded a little bit tired, but perfect.” The president ordered that flags across the country be flown at half-staff until next Saturday evening.

A noted foreign policy hawk, Graham was one of the most influential figures in Washington on international affairs and he advised Trump on matters such as the Iran war and Russia. On Friday, Graham had announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of Russia sanctions.

As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham also had a central role during Trump’s second term as Republicans pushed major legislation on party-line votes while holding a narrow 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Under South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November. A new nominee will be selected in a special primary, which is required to be held within weeks of a vacancy. The winner of November’s general election will start a full six-year term in January.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem & AP)