Preliminary findings reveal Graham died of “aortic dissection”: Medical examiner

Senate Preliminary findings reveal Graham died of “aortic dissection”: Medical examiner Comments: by Max Rego - 07/12/26 6:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Max Rego - 07/12/26 6:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died on Saturday of an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the office of the Washington, D.C., chief medical examiner said Sunday.

“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,” noted the office of Dr. Francisco Diaz, the chief medical examiner for the District of Columbia

Graham died after a “sudden and brief” illness, his office said Sunday. The 71-year-old represented South Carolina in the upper chamber for more than 23 years.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” his office added in a statement posted to social media.

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s home in Capitol Hill on Saturday night, according to scanner audio obtained by NBC News. EMS personnel on the scene later administered CPR, according to audio.

Photographs from the scene obtained by NBC News showed paramedics carrying a person on a stretcher from Graham’s house to an ambulance, with police cars and fire trucks also on site.

While the Senate was on recess this past week, Graham traveled to Ukraine amid Russia’s continued invasion of its neighbor to the west. While there, the South Carolina Republican met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

President Trump said Sunday he spoke to Graham on Saturday evening, shortly after the four-term senator returned to D.C. from Ukraine.

“He sounded a little tired, but perfect. But a little bit tired, he had a right to be,” Trump told host Kristen Welker on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.”

An aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body’s main artery, the aorta, according to the Mayo Clinic. Once blood rushes through the tear, the inner and middle layers of the artery will split, with the dissection often deadly if blood goes outside the artery.

The Mayo Clinic noted aortic dissections, while not very common, typically occur to men in their 60s and 70s. Symptoms of aortic dissections include sudden severe chest or upper back pain that spreads to the neck or back, sudden severe stomach pain or loss of consciousness.

Cardiovascular disease, a group of diseases impacting the heart and blood vessels, is the leading cause of death worldwide and in the U.S. as of 2022, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Those with a family history of heart disease are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, the latter clinic noted. Graham’s father, Florence Graham, died of a heart attack at the age of 68.

Add as preferred source on Google Tags aortic dissection Cardiovascular disease Donald Trump Kristen Welker Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham Senate South Carolina Volodymyr Zelensky

Comments: Link copied