A staffer of US Senator Lindsey Graham has shared the preliminary cause of his sudden death at 71.
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In a post on X, Graham’s communications director, Taylor Reidy, shared the District of Columbia’s medical examiner’s preliminary findings.
“The preliminary examination findings were: Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,” she posted. “The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death.”
The longtime senator’s team announced in the early hours of Sunday that he died on Saturday night. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, US 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.”
Dispatch audio from Broadcastify, which CNN obtained, revealed that emergency medical service workers were called to Graham’s Washington, D.C., residence at around 8:30 pm after they received a report about a person suffering from chest pains and cardiac arrest.
Graham has been a senator from South Carolina since 2002.
Fellow Senator Mitch McConnell Pays Tribute to Graham
Hours after Graham’s death was announced, fellow longtime senator Mitch McConnell spoke out.
“Lindsey Graham was a good friend and a great American,” McConnell stated. “And I was shocked and saddened by his passing. His constituents and colleagues have counted on his straight talk, conviction, and boundless appetite for a worthy fight. The Senate will miss him, and Elaine and I are keeping his family in my prayers.”
McConnell resurfaced on social media nearly a month after he was hospitalized with a mysterious health issue. On the same day as Graham’s passing, the longtime politician revealed what led to the hospitalization.
“Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges,” he pointed out. “They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall, which landed me in the hospital.”
McConnell also stated that his doctors have confirmed he didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. He also didn’t have a heart attack or stroke, nor does he have tumors or hemorrhages.
“But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital,” he disclosed. “While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”