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Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) office released a preliminary examination on Sunday afternoon he died from “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.”
Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman reported the news on X, one day after the veteran conservative lawmaker died at the age of 71.
Sherman relayed the following message from Graham’s team:
The preliminary examination findings were: Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.
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 Mayo Clinic explains on its website an aortic dissection is “a medical emergency in which a tear happens in the inner layer of the body’s main artery. The artery is called the aorta. Blood rushes through the tear. This causes the inner and middle layers of the artery to split, called a dissection. If the blood goes outside the artery, aortic dissection is often deadly.”
Aortic dissection is not very common, the Mayo Clinic said. “It usually happens in men in their 60s and 70s,” and symptoms are often tied to other health issues — which can lead to delays in diagnosis, the medical center added.
Graham’s office had initially said he died from a “brief and sudden illness” when it announced his death on Saturday night. The senator had just returned to Washington, D.C. from Ukraine the day before.
President Donald Trump honored his longtime ally shortly after he died.
“Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump posted early on Sunday morning. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Trump followed that up on Sunday afternoon by ordering all American flags to be lowered to half mast until next Saturday.
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