Death of Graham puts pressure on Republicans

The sudden and unexpected death of US Senator Lindsey Graham could make things more difficult for Republicans in the Senate, as their thin 53-47 majority is already being strained by the absence of Senator Mitch McConnell.

A temporary replacement for Graham can be named by the governor of South Carolina, though a permanent senator will be elected in November. There was no word on Sunday who might be the temporary stand-in, and candidates to fill the open seat in South Carolina during the midterms are expected to put their names forward this week.

The Associated Press reported on Monday that a number of Republican names began circulating as possible replacements, including Representative Ralph Norman.

Graham was chair of the Senate Budget Committee, which is working through a process to push forward parts of President Donald Trump's voter ID bill. He was also considered a big supporter of the war against Iran, which could be critical as the Senate is due to hear a request for additional funding for that conflict.

A preliminary finding from the Washington medical examiner said the cause of Graham's death was a tear in the inner layer of the aorta — the main artery that receives blood from the heart and delivers it to the body — though a final report is pending toxicological tests.

Trump called Graham "one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known" in a social media post on Sunday.

In addition, McConnell, 84, has been missing from the Senate for about a month, breaking his silence on Sunday that he had been hospitalized after falling and losing consciousness, followed by a "mild" bout of pneumonia.

Graham, 71, was first elected to the Senate in 2002. Once a Trump critic who called him the "most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican Party", he later became one of the president's biggest defenders.

Graham told Fox News in May he had introduced a bill "that would allow President Trump to put tariffs on China for buying Russian oil and gas", and later went on to disparage China and its relations with other countries.

He was considered a foreign policy hawk, who advocated for United States intervention overseas. He had just returned from his 10th trip to Ukraine, which he supported in its conflict with Russia. He had also opposed president Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, and had called for preemptive strikes against Tehran.