Everyone in Washington was stunned by the news.
Everything changed in an instant.
And Lindsey Graham passed away, and now Trump faces this tough moment.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham passed away at the age of 71 from a cardiac arrest.
Graham won his first election to Congress in 1994 and then won his Senate seat in 2002.
Once in the Senate, Graham fell out of favor with the conservative base due ot his support for amnesty and foreign wars.
But Graham did have a standout moment when his fierce defense of Brett Kavanaugh during Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings blunted the Christine Blasey Ford hoax sexual assault allegations.
I’ll always remember Lindsey Graham’s fierce defense of Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing: “This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.”
He was ELECTRIC!
Rest in peace, Sen. Graham. pic.twitter.com/OkadHpmwiK
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 12, 2026
Graham’s death leaves a vacancy that South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster must now fill.
Whoever McMaster picks will run in a primary on July 28 and then a runoff on August 11 if no one receives 50 percent of the vote in the primary.
For those wondering, the Special Election to replace Lindsey Graham as the Republican nominee is a snap primary election, which by my count looks to be scheduled for August 11th. pic.twitter.com/HrdvabQE2D
— Kevin Sabellico (@KevinSabellico) July 12, 2026
Since the vacancy occurred so close to the general election, the Graham replacement is likely to hold the seat until a special election on January 3.
Once the mourning period ends, the discussion will move to who McMaster picks to replace Graham.
“With Lindsey Graham’s sudden passing, Governor McMaster may appoint Joe Wilson in his place. Wilson is the most senior on the SC delegation, and his son is expected to become the next governor,” journalist Juliegrace Brufke wrote on X.
But in reality, only one person will determine Graham’s successor.
And that is President Trump.
Whoever Trump endorses is who McMaster will select.
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