U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died on Saturday at the age of 71 due to a "brief and sudden illness," according to a spokesperson for his office. Preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia attribute his death to an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, although additional testing is pending.
Emergency responders were called to Graham's Capitol Hill home around 8:30 p.m. ET for reports of someone suffering chest pains, according to audio on Broadcastify. The dispatcher indicated the caller was en route from Baltimore and believed the door was unlocked, but responders found it deadbolted and requested the Metropolitan Police Department to gain access. Just after 8:50 p.m., emergency personnel reported CPR in progress for a man in cardiac arrest.
President Donald Trump stated he had spoken with Graham hours before his death, around 7 p.m. ET, after Graham returned from a visit to Ukraine. Trump recalled Graham sounding "tired because it’s a long trip" but otherwise fine, and they discussed Graham's "SAVE America Act" voter ID legislation. Federal law enforcement sources indicated no foul play, with FBI agents assisting local police at Graham's residence as a normal procedure.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is expected to appoint a successor to fill the vacant Senate seat, as per the 17th Amendment. Graham had served more than three decades in Washington, known for his role in crafting legislation and his hawkish foreign policy stance.
