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Akbar Novruz

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U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly on Saturday, as reported, apparently just hours after a phone conversation with President Donald Trump in which he said he still had important work to complete, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Axios, Graham had spent his final weeks advancing a number of foreign policy initiatives, including efforts to promote the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

During the call, Graham reportedly briefed Trump on his recent visit to Ukraine, where he toured a military drone production facility and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The two also discussed proposed sanctions against Russia that Graham hoped the Senate would pass.

Trump later told reporters that Graham had sounded tired during the conversation but otherwise appeared to be in good condition. The president said they had also discussed advancing the SAVE Act, a voter identification bill, through Congress.

According to Axios, Graham had also dismissed concerns about his health during a separate conversation with a person close to him, saying he planned to see a doctor after a scheduled appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.

"I can't die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out, and do Israeli-Saudi normalization," Graham reportedly said during the phone call, according to the publication.

Following the senator's reported death, Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide through the following Saturday. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster reportedly appointed Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve the remainder of his Senate term.