Lindsey Graham remembered for a vision of American foreign policy that's fading in Washington

By — Geir Moulson, Associated Press Geir Moulson, Associated Press By — Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/lindsey-graham-remembered-for-a-vision-of-american-foreign-policy-thats-fading-in-washington Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Lindsey Graham remembered for a vision of American foreign policy that's fading in Washington Politics Jul 12, 2026 6:40 PM EDT For decades Lindsey Graham traveled the globe selling a vision of the United States as a nation willing to use its military might to protect democracies around the world, even as his party was taken over by a president openly skeptical of that worldview. Graham — who died unexpectedly at 71 on Saturday night — was a rare bridge between President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy and the traditional Washington consensus prioritizing alliances with Europe and Israel, one falling out of favor with many in both political parties. READ MORE: Lindsey Graham, longtime Republican senator, dies at 71 after 'brief and sudden illness' With that idea of the U.S., Graham remained a staunch defender of Ukraine to the end, even as Trump's commitment wavered. An unexpected passing Graham, who represented South Carolina in the House and Senate for more than three decades, died after what the Washington, D.C., medical examiner's office said was a rupture in his aorta. The senator's death triggered praise from leaders and diplomats around the world and condemnation from Iran and other countries where he'd agitated for military action. "In an increasingly isolationist America, Sen. Graham was one of the last titans of the Senate who favored a muscular and engaged U.S. foreign policy," said Paul Foldi, a former diplomat and top Republican staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "He is irreplaceable." Trump, whom Graham opposed, then embraced, won the White House partly by harnessing voters' disgust with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — both of which were championed by Graham's wing of the Republican Party. A silent ally of Trump's When Trump returned for a second term, Graham cheered his aggressive approach to Iran but was largely silent as the president dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, questioned the value of NATO, suggested using military force against allies to seize Greenland and praised dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin. READ MORE: From staunch critic to fierce ally: Graham's long, strange and consequential friendship with Trump "His moral flexibility over the last few years has been disappointing to many who saw him as a principled patriot," Dan Baer, a former State Department official under President Barack Obama who is now at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace. Hailed as a friend of Ukraine Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) before their meeting in K