U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a dominant figure in Republican politics for more than two decades and one of Donald Trump’s closest allies, died Saturday, July 11, following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” Born July 9, 1955, Graham had just turned 71 two days before his death.
Although no official cause of death has been released, police scanner communications reviewed by NBC News, CBS News and CNN have reported that emergency medical services responded to a call at Graham’s DC home in response to an individual suffering chest pains and experiencing cardiac arrest with CPR in progress.
Graham represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate since 2003 after serving in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the South Carolina House. During his Senate career, he became an influential voice on national security, judicial nominations and foreign policy.
Although he sharply criticized Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, the two later forged a close political alliance that defined much of Graham’s later career.
Graham’s death comes just days after returning from a diplomatic visit to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Graham was actively advocating for continued U.S. support for the country.
And despite earlier low numbers, he had recently bounced back to capture the Republican primary by a reported 27 percent and was already campaigning for a fifth Senate term.
Record on LGBTQ+ Issues
For much of his political career, Graham opposed many of the major legislative and policy changes sought by LGBTQ+ advocates, while occasionally supporting limited protections.
One of Graham’s most notorious votes came in 2022, when he opposed the Respect for Marriage Act, bipartisan legislation that repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and requires the federal government and states to recognize valid same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
The bill ultimately passed with support from 12 Republican senators despite Graham’s opposition.
Earlier in his Senate career, Graham voted against repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which had prohibited openly gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the U.S. armed forces. Congress repealed the policy in 2010, allowing service members to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation.
Graham also consistently opposed the Equality Act, legislation that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal civil rights laws covering employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs and other areas.
He argued that the proposal raised concerns about individual rights to express religious convictions and federal overreach, positions echoed by many congressional Republicans.
Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, Graham maintained his extremist far right positions on same-sex marriage, religious “liberty,” and transgender-related policies.
Graham also supported the confirmation of several federal judges and Supreme Court justices whose societal and political viewpoints have proved to be discriminatory for the LGBTQ+ community. Those confirmations included Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Despite Graham’s record, he occasionally broke with some conservatives. In 2013, after the Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, he acknowledged that the ruling settled an important constitutional question, though he continued to oppose same-sex marriage as a matter of policy. Although sources are mixed, it has been reported that he condemned violence and discrimination directed at LGBTQ+ people and supported enforcing existing hate-crime laws.
Over more than two decades in the Senate, Graham’s voting record reflected the broader divide within the Republican Party on LGBTQ+ rights. While public opinion and federal law evolved significantly during his tenure, he remained a reliable opponent of most major legislative initiatives expanding LGBTQ+ legal protections.
Graham’s own sexual orientation
For years, Graham was the subject of persistent debate about his sexual orientation because he never married and many politicians and voters thought his overall demeanor to be indicative of sexual orientation.
Graham consistently denied that he was gay, although the speculation exploded in 2020 after adult film performer Sean Harding accused Graham of hiring multiple male sex workers and alleged that male escorts in the Washington, D.C. area commonly referred to Graham by the nickname “Lady G.”
Harding reportedly also claimed that Graham utilized non-disclosure agreements to keep the encounters a secret.
In the years that followed, conservative activist Laura Loomer posted on social media that Graham was gay. “When is Lindsey coming out of the closet?” Loomer posted on Twitter/X. “We all know you’re gay, Lindsey. And that’s OK. It’s 2024. There’s nothing wrong with Gay people.”
Loomer later claimed during a sworn deposition in 2025 that she was told about his sexuality by Trump staff members. “It’s well known,” Loomer said. “Several of President Trump’s staff have told me in confidence that Lindsey Graham is gay.”
Graham did address the question about his sexual orientation in a 2010 interview with the New York Times and even made a joke about how unlikely it was that American gay men would find him desirable. “I know it’s really gonna upset a lot of gay men.” he said. “I’m sure hundreds of ’em are gonna be jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge … but I ain’t gay.”
While Trump and Graham’s bitter infighting during the beginning of the 2016 Republican presidential primary was legendary – Trump released Graham’s personal cell phone number to the public in an act of retaliation for his negative comments – Trump posted the following statement about Graham’s unexpected passing on social media.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsay will be greatly missed!!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”
Who will fill his seat through January and who will run next year?
With Graham’s passing, according to South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham’s seat until Jan. 3 of next year. Though no official replacement has been selected, South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette is reportedly a potential contender.
A special primary is required by Aug. 11 to find a replacement nominee for the upcoming election, although Evette has yet to confirm if she will run in the primary, or has her eyes on Graham’s Senate seat.
The winner of that primary will face off against Democratic candidate Annie Andrews in November.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
