The haunting final photos of Lindsey Graham appeared to show no sign of the “brief and sudden illness” which claimed his life.

The South Carolina Senator passed away on the evening of Saturday, July 11, his office confirmed in a statement, without sharing further details about his cause of death. There have been unconfirmed reports that Graham suffered chest pain at his home in Washington, D.C. after returning from Ukraine.

It has been reported he suffered chest pains and a cardiac arrest before his death at the age of 71. The last public photos of Graham were taken during his diplomatic visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, July 10.

• Lindsey Graham the latest politician to fall ill without explanation

Zelensky shared a series of photographs documenting their meeting on his official social media account on X. During the visit, the pair discussed foreign policy, with Graham visiting the president’s office and looking at damaged Russian vehicles in central Kyiv.

Graham spoke to the press in the Ukrainian capital, announcing a new agreement with the Trump administration regarding a Russia sanctions package, which he noted was designed to give “tools to President Trump to end this war.” Graham, who was also photographed holding the P1SUN Ukrainian interceptor drone developed by SkyFall, engineered specifically to track down and destroy Russian drones, said during his final press conference in Kyiv, “I’m pleased to announce, as of about 30 minutes ago, we’ve reached agreement with the White House on a version of the Russian sanctions bill that they will support.”

He added, “It means it’s gonna become law. So when I get back to Washington, I’m gonna go with Senator [Richard] Blumenthal to the Republican and Democratic leader to see if we can find time to move this Russian sanctions package that would give tools to President Trump to help end this war.”

On Friday, an announcement was also shared on his official website, with a joint statement from Senator Graham, Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). “We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Trump Administration to move our updated Russia sanctions legislation forward,” the statement read.

“We are very pleased with this significant progress and expect to roll out the legislation very soon. As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine.”

On Friday, Graham also continued banging the drum about modern infrastructure investment in his state, sharing the news that the US Coast Guard has awarded a $230 million contract for new operational support facilities at its base in Charleston, South Carolina.

The senator’s last tweet, before his death was announced on Saturday, read, “Great news to see the continued investment in Coast Guard Base Charleston! As Chairman of the Senate @BudgetGOP Committee, I was glad to secure this historic funding for the Coast Guard as a part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Last week, Graham also shared his last Instagram post – a video marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. “One nation, under God,” he captioned the post. “Here’s to the next 250 years of freedom.”

Announcing his death, Graham’s office said in a statement, “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness. Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.” The Washington Post has since reported the senator suffered chest pains before experiencing cardiac arrest.

The sparse statement from Graham’s office, which did not explain his death, comes during a stretch of concern about a lack of transparency about lawmakers’ health. Rep. Tom Kean Jr, a New Jersey Republican, was absent without explanation for months before returning to Congress and disclosing that he had been diagnosed with depression. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, was hospitalized weeks ago for undisclosed health reasons.

Graham was elected to the US Senate in 2002 and was running for a fifth term. He had been a close ally of President Donald Trump and a longtime hawk on Iran. As a member of the US House in the 1990s, he backed policies aimed at isolating the country and limiting its missile and nuclear programs.

He also cheered on Trump’s decision to strike nuclear sites last year and had been been a supporter of the latest conflict that started a few months ago. Graham, who was most known for his hawkish foreign policy positions, mounted a brief bid for the party’s presidential nomination during the 2016 campaign and later was a vocal critic of Trump, the eventual GOP nominee.