A long-time US senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, passed away at the age of 71 on Saturday evening following a brief and sudden illness, as confirmed by his office in a post on X on Sunday. Being a staunch defender and ally of US President Donald Trump, Lindsey has featured in headlines for various controversial remarks on many issues.
Tariffs on India and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
In February 2026, Graham praised Trump’s tariffs on India and claiming to be a “good example” of how policy measures could influence countries’ actions. Moreover, just the month before that, he said that Trump had “greenlit” a bill on which the senator had worked on for months (Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill), which would allow the President to impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries, including India.
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Moreover, in an interview on Fox News’ ‘Sunday Morning Futures’, Graham described the then supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “the modern-day Hitler”, a “religious Nazi” and a “horrible person” and that removing him would bring peace to the region.
Graham said, “If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that are killing the people. You’ve got to end this.”
About Greenland, and Pakistan as a mediator
Earlier in 2026, Graham perceived Greenland to be “behind” the USA and said, “Greenland is behind us, but the goal is to get outcomes. Who gives a s*** who owns Greenland? I don’t.”
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Moreover, in May, Graham questioned the credibility of Pakistan as a mediator in the US-Iran war and urged the country to diplomatically recognise Israel. However, this was a deviation from Trump’s opinion, who publicly backed Pakistan’s efforts in mediation.
In a post on X, Graham said, “It has been apparent to me for quite a while that Pakistan as a mediator is more than problematic. Their animosity towards Israel is long standing. It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases and past rhetoric from the highest Pakistani officials against Israel is disturbing.”
FAQs
How did Lindsey Graham describe Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Graham Lindsey described Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “the modern-day Hitler”, a “religious Nazi” and a “horrible person.”
What happened to Lindsey Graham?
According to a post on X made by his office, Graham Lindsey passed away on Saturday after a brief and sudden illness.