00:00A cause of death has been revealed for long-time South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham,
00:05who passed away at the age of 71 on July 11th, following what appeared to be a brief and sudden
00:10illness, his office confirmed.
00:13Emergency officials responded to Graham's Capitol Hill home at around 8.30 p.m.
00:17when they received a report about an individual suffering from chest pains, the Washington Post reported, citing police scanner audio.
00:25Preliminary findings by the D.C. Medical Examiner's Office determined he died of a ruptured aorta brought on by chronic
00:31heart disease, the senator's office said late Sunday.
00:35Officials performed CPR on the politician as he went into cardiac arrest nearly a half hour later and was rushed
00:41to George Washington University Hospital, according to the outlet.
00:45Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period, Graham's office said
00:52on X.
00:53Graham, a staunch ally of President Trump, was scheduled to appear on NBC News' Meet the Press the following morning.
01:00The 71-year-old had shown no signs of feeling unwell before his death, a staffer told the outlet.
01:06Speaking to NBC News, Trump revealed the final phone call he shared with Graham shortly before his death, praising his
01:12work ethic.
01:13I got a call last night sometime in, you know, the early evening, said he just landed from Ukraine.
01:20I said, that's a long trip to make.
01:22He said, he sounded a little tired, but perfect, but a little bit tired.
01:26I had a right to be.
01:27Man, he was a worker.
01:29He was really a worker.
01:30Graham had just returned to the U.S. after a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky
01:35to discuss the ongoing war against Russia.
01:38Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer, Zelensky wrote on X.
01:44He visited Ukraine 10 times during the years of Russia's full-scale invasion and was here with our people when
01:50it was most needed.
01:52The Seneca, South Carolina resident has represented the Palmetto State in the U.S. Senate since 2003, succeeding outgoing 100
01:59-year-old Strom Thurman.
02:01He held key positions in the upper chamber, including as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
02:06Before his four-term Senate career, Graham represented South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House between 1995
02:13and 2003.
02:15Graham had served in the U.S. Air Force as an active-duty lawyer, retiring in 2015 as a colonel
02:21with the Air Force Reserves.
02:23He was a fierce critic of Iran and introduced several bills aimed at limiting the Islamic regime's nuclear capabilities and
02:30isolating the rogue nation.
02:32He regularly advocated for extending Trump's wartime powers as the U.S. negotiated a ceasefire with Iran in hopes of
02:39reopening the Strait of Hormuz while ensuring Iran doesn't rebuild its nuclear program.
02:44Graham was seeking his fifth Senate term and won the South Carolina GOP primary on June 9th, receiving a majority
02:5156.78% of the vote against five challengers.
02:55Because Graham died as the state party's Senate nominee, Republican officials will hold a special primary election, according to state
03:02election law.
Comments