Preliminary cause of Lindsey Graham's death released by medical examiner - USA Today

WASHINGTON — A preliminary medical examiner's report indicated that Sen. Lindsey Graham died of an "aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease," his office said in a statement on July 12.

Graham, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and one of the most powerful figures in the Senate, died on Saturday, July 11, after what his office described only as a "brief and sudden illness." He was 71.

The DC medical examiner preliminarily ruled the cause of death as aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Graham's office said Sunday afternoon. That's when the inner lining of the body's main artery tears and blood leaks out, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“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," Communications Director Taylor Reidy said in a statement on July 12.

Around 8:30 p.m. ET, emergency personnel were dispatched to Graham's home in Capitol Hill following a report of someone suffering chest pain, according to audio on the Broadcastify website, which archives public safety radio feeds.

The dispatcher indicated that the caller, an unidentified woman, was on her way to the home from Baltimore, according to the audio. The dispatcher said the caller believed the door was unlocked, but emergency responders said it was deadbolted shut and no one came to the door after they knocked repeatedly.

The dispatcher then requested help from the Metropolitan Police Department to gain access to the home, according to the audio. Just after 8:50 p.m. ET, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and that a man was suffering from apparent cardiac arrest.

Neither the dispatcher nor the emergency responders identified Graham by name. At one point, an emergency responder referred to a 73-year-old man.

In a post on X praising Graham, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI "is assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available."

Shortly before emergency responders arrived at his home, Graham, who had recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, spoke with Trump over the phone.

"He said he’s a little tired. It’s a long trip, you know, many hours. And he had just gotten back," Trump said during a July 12 phone interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Trump said emergency responders appeared to have arrived at Graham's home shortly after their call ended.

"I mean, it must have been right after that because I understand the police, or whoever it is, came there about 7:30, 8 o’clock in the evening," Trump said, adding that the two planned to speak again soon.

"We thought we might even meet today. And then that was it," the president said. "It could have been his last call. I don’t know exactly."