(FILES) US senator Lindsey Graham (C), Republican of South Carolina, flanked by President Donald Trump (R) and the Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on their way back to Washington, DC, on January 4, 2026. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a key ally of US President Donald Trump, died on July 11, 2026, at the age of 71 following "a brief and sudden illness," his office announced on its official X account on July 12. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)