U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, Trump's close ally, dies

The 71-year-old, who was Republican representative for South Carolina, died"from a short and unexpected malady", his office announced.

The statement continued: Senator Graham's “Family praises prayers at this time and requires privacy during this very difficult period”.

Emergency services reportedly responded to a call for <x0 person arrest"at Graham's home in Washington on Saturday evening.

The senator had recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with Volodymyr Zelensky.

He was scheduled to appear on the “Meet The Press” of NBC News on Sunday.

Otherwise, Graham was elected to the US Senate in 2002 and was seeking a fifth six-year term in November.