{"id":5879,"date":"2026-07-14T12:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T07:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=5879"},"modified":"2026-07-14T12:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T07:05:13","slug":"after-lindsey-grahams-death-questions-linger-about-aging-politicians-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=5879","title":{"rendered":"After Lindsey Graham&#8217;s death, questions linger about aging politicians health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \"><span class=\"oyrPY qlwaB AGxeB  \">NEW YORK &#8212; <\/span>The sudden death of Sen. <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/lindsey-graham\">Lindsey Graham<\/a>, a top ally of President Donald Trump and one of Washington&#8217;s best-known politicians, is renewing focus on the country&#8217;s aging lawmakers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Graham, who had turned 71 just two days before passing away on Saturday night, was far younger than many of his Senate colleagues and appeared to have been in good health. He suffered a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary report from the medical examiner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">It was the second time in less than a month that emergency personnel were dispatched to the home of a U.S. senator. In early June, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/mitch-mcconnell\">Mitch McConnell<\/a>, the former Republican Senate leader, was hospitalized for undisclosed reasons. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">After weeks of <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mcconnell-health-hospital-senate-21a76f059653c6c713e660abb7722c5e\">increasingly dire speculation<\/a> about his health, he <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mitch-mcconnell-hospitalized-fall-health-senate-d708e9a1f18763fbb961fd3879227ce3\">finally revealed on Sunday<\/a> that he had fallen and suffered from mild pneumonia. He released a photo, complete with a copy of the day\u2019s newspaper.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Graham\u2019s death and McConnell\u2019s hospitalization have come amid an ongoing reckoning about the nation\u2019s aging leaders, two years after the disastrous presidential debate that sparked widespread panic among Democrats about then-President Joe Biden\u2019s capacities and accusations of a cover-up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Some politicians have continued to obscure details about their health challenges, asking for privacy despite their public positions, and fueling conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI think we need some transparency,\u201d Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Monday. \u201cI wish Sen. McConnell and his team would have done that earlier, I think it would have resolved a lot of questions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">McConnell, who at 84 is only the third-oldest member of the Senate, was <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mitch-mcconnell-hospital-health-senate-kentucky-bf3d75527d77002c430f4270afbfc0af\">admitted to the hospital<\/a> on June 14 with barely any explanation. Aides said he was \u201creceiving excellent care,&#8221; but offered no details about his condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The dearth of information fueled a wave of speculation about his prognosis, with Laura Loomer, a Trump ally and conspiracy theorist, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LauraLoomer\/status\/2074210061447307773?s=20\">claiming on social media<\/a> that a &#8220;high level source close to the White House\u201d had told her he was \u201cofficially brain dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But McConnell, who will retire from Congress at the end of January after serving as the longest-ever Senate leader, said in a statement that he is on the mend. He said a fall had led to his hospitalization and that he was \u201cbriefly unconscious&#8221; and treated for mild pneumonia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cYou all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older,&#8221; he said. \u201cEven in the public eye, I feel that same instinct \u2013 I can\u2019t help it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">That wasn&#8217;t enough to put speculation to rest. On social media, many refused to believe the veracity of a photo his office released that included the front page of the \u201cSports\u201d section of The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Conspiracy theories about McConnell\u2019s health are \u201ca symptom of our times,&#8221; said Sen. Rand Paul, who is also from McConnell&#8217;s home state of Kentucky. Paul said people should \u201cgive him a break.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cPeople think they have a right to know everyone\u2019s medical problems,&#8221; he said, &#8220;but I don\u2019t know, where does it begin and where does it end?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The oldest person ever elected president has long offered only the rosiest picture of his health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cEverything checked out PERFECTLY,&#8221; he boasted after his <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-trump-health-doctor-annual-exam-dff4cdb714d42ef860531d345c54e7aa\">last physical in May<\/a>, adding that he took yet another cognitive test aimed at detecting early dementia and has \u201caced them all.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">His <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-physical-past-medial-records-oldest-president-fcac7240c4a2cf98c1c30709506ab4f1\">past medical reports<\/a> have been criticized for offering limited detail and including statistics that some health professionals have viewed with skepticism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When he first ran for president in 2016, Trump declined to release his health records, breaking with longtime precedent. He instead offered <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/events-general-news-united-states-presidential-election-712700b08bef4d179fca4de9f2b8c085\">a four-paragraph note from his doctor<\/a> declaring that he would be \u201cthe healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.\u201d Rep. Ronny Jackson, White House doctor during Trump&#8217;s first term, later drew headlines when he extolled the president&#8217;s \u201cincredibly good genes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When he was infected with COVID-19 in the midst of his 2020 reelection campaign, Trump&#8217;s doctors and aides withheld key details of his treatment and <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/b19734ef456d63f04e84602fd1c488c9\">tried to downplay the severity of his illness.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">And after <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-rally-shooting-guns-fbi-motive-08e925cb85e52c5266878cd76e796ad2\">an attempted assassination<\/a> at a Pennsylvania rally, Trump aides kept the public in the dark for days, declining to discuss the extent of his injuries or release medical records after <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5\">assuring he was \u201cfine.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The obfuscation extends beyond the septuagenarian and octogenarian set. New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. spent four months <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/tom-kean-new-jersey-congress-medical-absence-0580c601719fad2a67c102f718e3d084\">missing without explanation<\/a> before he finally <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/tom-kean-jr-new-jersey-congress-e7c40a55f06df86228f3646441532444\">disclosed late last month<\/a> that he had been in treatment for depression.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">He said in a brief floor speech after his return that he had remained silent about his condition because he is a \u201cprivate person by nature.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">He won an <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/tom-kean-jr-absent-congress-12268fef1f330c5b2d0ddfdbcadf60b3\">uncontested primary<\/a> during his absence, despite missing more than 100 votes in the House, and is running for reelection. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The approach stood in contrast to Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, who disclosed his hospitalization for clinical depression the day after he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment. He also suffered a stroke while running for office. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Biden&#8217;s halting gait, frail appearance and frequent verbal stumbles eventually doomed his 2024 reelection campaign. After a debate in which he frequently lost his train of thought, he chose to withdraw from the race, sparking an unprecedented swap at the top of the Democratic ticket that ultimately paved the way for Trump&#8217;s return to office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Many others have refused to retire. California Sen. <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/dianne-feinstein\">Dianne Feinstein<\/a>, a Democrat, died in office in 2023 at the age of 90, after years of declining health, including a bout of shingles. Though she returned to the Senate after her illness, she appeared frail and confused at times. It was later revealed that her office <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dianne-feinstein-shingles-complications-encephalitis-0b89e58478eb8f1785886ed9a9eda801\">had failed to disclose<\/a> in real time that she had contracted encephalitis while recovering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Longtime <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/texas-congress-kay-granger-be9435f55ace5bd5ad76173c8e48dc91\">Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas<\/a> spend the final months of her more than two decades in Congress suffering from \u201cunforeseen health challenges\u201d that made travel to Washington difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \"><a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-washington-eleanor-holmes-norton-federal-intervention-8dc90cfb34e8692db2d7ff4f609ebb68\">Eleanor Holmes Norton<\/a>, 88, the longtime House delegate for the District of Columbia, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/eleanor-holmes-norton-delegate-congress-district-columbia-b7f1a6348659d9a5bc2d21f1834aef4d\">announced earlier this year<\/a> that she would not run for reelection amid questions about her competency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEW YORK &#8212; The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top ally of President Donald Trump and one of Washington&#8217;s best-known politicians, is renewing focus on the country&#8217;s aging lawmakers. Graham, who had turned 71 just two days before passing away on Saturday night, was far younger than many of his Senate colleagues and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4e497870-17b6-459e-92de-d8db157af475\/wirestory_305740f6699ce4f6aa1adb81a8435cbf_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}