Lindsey Graham’s death at 71 leaves a jagged fault line running straight through the Republican Party and the U.S. Senate. For decades, he fused small‑town South Carolina grit with a relentless belief in American power, becoming a central figure in every major foreign policy and judicial battle of his era. His final days — flying back from a war-torn Ukraine, standing with Zelenskyy against Russian aggression — were a distilled version of his life’s work: unapologetic, combative, and rooted in the conviction that American strength keeps darkness at bay.