The FBI is assisting local authorities following the death of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, officials said.
The 71-year-old Republican died from a “brief and sudden illness” Saturday night, his office said without sharing details about the illness. On Friday, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, marking his tenth visit to the war-torn country.
FBI Director Kash Patel remembered Graham as a “devoted public servant, a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot who dedicated his life to the people of South Carolina and the United States” in a statement Sunday.
“The FBI is assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available,” Patel added.
It was not immediately clear how the FBI would be helping or if there was an investigation into Graham’s death. The FBI declined to comment further to The Independent.
open image in galleryThe Independent has contacted the White House and the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. for comment.
Graham, who served as a senator in South Carolina since 2003, had been a vocal advocate for a hawkish foreign policy despite Trump’s initially isolationist foreign policy. He vocally supported Ukraine in the war against Russia, visiting Zelensky in Ukraine just last week.
A video posted by Zelensky shows the two men discussing the Ukrainian leader’s recent meeting with President Donald Trump. On Friday, Graham also announced that he was able to meet an agreement with the White House on a bill to sanction Russia.
open image in galleryA day later, emergency responders were called to his home on Capitol Hill, with 911 dispatch audio revealed they responded to a “cardiac arrest” around 8:30 p.m.
Officials radioed that a 911 caller — an unidentified woman who said she was not home — told dispatchers the door was unlocked. However, EMS at the scene reported the deadbolt was secured and that they knocked on the door “repeatedly,” but no one answered. DC firefighters then forced entry into the home, audio of the call revealed.
About 25 minutes later, EMS said that CPR was in process and that a man at the home was suffering from cardiac arrest. The dispatch calls did not mention Graham by name, but referred to a 73-year-old patient. Graham had just turned 71 on Thursday.
open image in galleryA staffer in the senator’s office told NBC News that there was no indication that the lawmaker was feeling unwell before his death.
His office did not provide any additional details about his death, but his family said in a statement that it “appreciates prayers at this time” and asked for privacy.
Trump told NBC News on Sunday morning that Graham was a “tough one to lose” and “like a member of the family.”
The president said he spoke with Graham over the phone around 7 p.m. Saturday, not long before he died. He said the senator “sounded a little tired” after returning from his trip to Ukraine.