Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham's Death Marks the End of an Era of Interventionist Foreign Policy

The late senator was one of the last advocates of hawkish policies out of step with public opinion.

J.D. Tuccille | 7.15.2026 7:00 AM

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(Samuel Corum/Sipa USA/Newscom)

With the passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R–S.C.), U.S. foreign policy may be poised for a big shift from the hawkish stance the longtime D.C. insider preferred to a more restrained one better aligned with President Donald Trump's nationalist MAGA base. Once a Trump critic, Graham became a friend and confidant to the president during both his administrations and nudged him in an internationalist direction that (mostly) avoided the hard break that many world leaders feared. But his position was out of step with an American public increasingly skeptical of military adventures.

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Graham 'Believed Strongly in the NATO Alliance'

In the hours before Graham died of an aortic tear, as he began to feel unwell, the senator reportedly joked, "I can't die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization."

Graham had just returned from meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of his support for that country's fight against invading Russian forces, about which he briefed Trump. He'd been a strong supporter of sanctions against Russia, aid to Ukraine, support for Israel, and engagement with allies including the members of NATO.

"Deeply saddened by the news of the passing of United States Senator Lindsey Graham. Lindsey was a true........

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