US Sen. Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and unexpected illness, his office says

US Sen. Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and unexpected illness, his office says. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress who traveled the globe to advocate for a more muscular U.S. foreign policy abroad, died Saturday evening after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement posted on social media. He was 71. His office did not provide any additional details about the South Carolina Republican and said his family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.” “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump posted on social media early Sunday morning. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!” First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, Graham briefly ran for president in 2016 and clashed with Trump, criticizing him as “unfit for office.” However, he later emerged as one of Trump’s top allies, speaking with him frequently. Little explanation from Graham’s office. The sparse statement by Graham’s office, which did not explain his death, comes during a stretch of concern about a lack of transparency about lawmakers’ health. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a New Jersey Republican, was absent without explanation for months before returning to Congress and disclosing that he had been diagnosed with depression.