U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died from a tear in the body’s main artery caused by underlying cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings released by his office, offering an initial medical explanation for his sudden death shortly after returning from Ukraine.
Graham, a 71-year-old Republican from South Carolina and a close ally of President Donald Trump, died on Saturday evening after emergency services were called to his Washington home following reports of chest pain.
The District of Columbia medical examiner found that Graham’s preliminary cause of death was an “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” his office said.
An aortic dissection occurs when the inner layer of the aorta — the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body — tears. Blood can then force its way between the layers of the artery wall, separating them and potentially causing the aorta to rupture or cutting off blood flow to vital organs.
The condition can develop abruptly and is frequently fatal without immediate surgical treatment. Symptoms commonly include sudden, severe chest or upper-back pain, loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties or signs resembling a stroke. It occurs most often in men in their 60s and 70s.
Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease refers broadly to the thickening and hardening of arteries over time. In atherosclerosis, a common form of the condition, deposits of fat, cholesterol and other substances accumulate in artery walls. That process can weaken or damage the aortic wall and increase the risk of a dissection. High blood pressure, an aortic aneurysm, smoking, high cholesterol and some inherited connective-tissue disorders are also recognised risk factors.
Graham’s death certificate will remain listed as pending until toxicology tests and microscopic examination of tissue have been completed, his office said.
“Whenever an autopsy is performed in the District of Columbia, the pathologist also orders comprehensive toxicology testing and microscopy, both of which take time to complete,” Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll and Chief Medical Examiner Francisco Diaz said in a joint statement.
The medical examiner will amend the death certificate after those tests are completed and formally determine both the cause and manner of death, the officials said.
The preliminary finding does not represent the completed autopsy report. Toxicology testing examines whether alcohol, medications, illicit substances or poisons were present, while microscopic testing can identify disease or tissue damage that may not be visible during the initial examination.
TIMING PROMPTS ONLINE SPECULATION
Graham had returned to Washington only hours earlier from a visit to Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Friday to discuss Ukraine’s air-defence requirements and proposed sanctions against Russia.
The proximity of the trip to his death prompted speculation on social media about whether the events were connected.
No publicly released evidence has established a connection between Graham’s travel to Ukraine and the aortic dissection.
Graham’s office initially said he had died following a “brief and sudden illness.”
Emergency medical personnel responded to his Capitol Hill residence at about 8:27 p.m. on Saturday after receiving a report of chest pain. Graham subsequently suffered cardiac arrest, according to accounts of the emergency response.
Trump said he had spoken with Graham shortly before emergency services were called and that the senator had sounded tired but had not indicated that he was seriously ill.
“I just can’t believe it,” Trump said in television interviews on Sunday, describing Graham as being “like a member of the family.”
SENATE VACANCY
Graham’s death removes an influential Republican voice from the Senate as the party seeks to advance Trump’s legislative and national-security agenda. Graham, who had served in the Senate since 2003, was seeking a fifth term in November.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has authority under state law to appoint a temporary replacement to serve until a successor is chosen.
Graham had won South Carolina’s Republican primary and was expected to seek re-election in the November 3 midterm election. The party will now have to select a replacement candidate under the state’s election procedures.
A longtime advocate of a strong U.S. military interventions and continued support for Ukraine and Israel, Graham had been promoting legislation aimed at imposing tougher sanctions on Russia and countries purchasing Russian energy.
Zelenskiy described Graham as a “true defender of freedom,” while lawmakers from both parties praised his ability to negotiate across party lines.
