WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham died after a tear in the inner wall of his aorta, or an aortic dissection, according to the District of Columbia medical examiner’s preliminary report on Sunday.
Graham’s office reported he had suffered from a “brief and sudden illness” before he died on Saturday night in Washington, D.C. He was 71.
D.C. Health Emergency Medical Services responded shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday to a report of a man who was suffering “chest pains” and “cardiac arrest.”
Toxicological and microscopic test results were pending before the medical examiner’s office issued a death certificate with a cause of death.
President Donald Trump told ”Meet the Press” that Graham, one of his closest allies, “sounded a little bit tired” on Saturday evening after returning from Ukraine.
“One of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known is dead,” Trump wrote on Sunday on Truth Social. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, released a statement saying Graham spent “his final days” pressing the case for stronger U.S. sanctions against Russia.
“There is no better way to honor his final mission than for the Senate and the White House to swiftly send his bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation to the President’s desk,” Turner wrote on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement.
“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot,” Netanyahu wrote. “I have lost a beloved friend.”
REPUBLICAN LEADER
Graham’s journey from a pool hall to the heights of political power
Lindsey Graham, the garrulous son of South Carolina pool hall owners, rose to become a fixture on the global stage and one of the most prominent advocates of American military might in the U.S. Senate. Read more >
FOREIGN POLICY
Graham remembered for a vision of American foreign policy that’s fading in Washington
For decades, Lindsey Graham traveled the globe selling a vision of the United States as a nation willing to use its military might to protect democracies around the world, even as his party was taken over by a president openly skeptical of that worldview. Read more >
REACTION
Florida lawmakers pay tribute to Graham
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez: Deeply saddened by the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham. He leaves behind a legacy of dedicated public service, a commitment to national security, and an unwavering fight for freedom. Lourdes & I are praying for his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace. Read more >
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