US President Donald Trump offered his condolences for the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday.
"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. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"He was always working, and was a true American Patriot," Trump continued. "Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! ...So sad!"
Later on Sunday, Trump spoke with NBC's Meet the Press, where he revealed that he had called Graham moments before his death and said that he "was like a member of the family."
"I got a call last night in the early evening, where we talked about the Save America Act," Trump said and added, "Must not have been much later, might even be the last call he made, I don't know, but by one in the morning I got a call saying that he had passed away."
Trump also called him a "tough cookie" but pointed out that he was a great politician who had a way with people to make things pass. "He was somebody that most democrats liked and just about all of the Republicans liked," he added.
Graham was an outspoken advocate for Ukraine
At the time of his death, Graham had just returned from a trip to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was "deeply saddened," calling Graham "a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer."
Zelensky noted that Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
In a Facebook post, he wrote: "We will always be especially grateful for the recognition of our people and words of admiration for the courage of Ukraine’s defenders."
'A steadfast friend of the Iranian people'
Graham was also one of the most prominent American political supporters of the Iranian opposition and the exiled Iranian opposition leader, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, meeting him in Washington in January and telling him: "I believe with all my heart that help is on the way."
Following news of Graham's death, Pahlavi described him as "a steadfast friend of the Iranian people and a proud defender of freedom."
"At moments when moral clarity was required, Senator Graham stood on the right side," Pahlavi wrote on X. "His support for Iran's Lion and Sun Revolution earned him the title 'Uncle Lindsey' among Iranians. He will be remembered with profound gratitude and deep respect."
Alex Winston contributed to this report.