Aortic rupture cited as preliminary cause of Senator Lindsey Graham's death
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to the media in Kyiv (Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham died from a preliminary cause of an aortic rupture due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the Associated Press reported on July 13.
Publication cited statements from the senator's office and preliminary findings from the District of Columbia medical examiner.
Graham’s office stated that he died on July 11 evening after a "short and sudden illness." The senator's family asked for privacy and expressed gratitude for the support.
Preliminary data from medical examiners indicated the cause of death was an aortic dissection — damage to the wall of the body's main artery, associated with the hardening of the arteries.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Graham a "member of the family" and stated that he is taking his death hard.
According to Trump, the senator called him on July 11 evening after returning from Ukraine. The president noted that Graham "sounded a little tired, but completely normal."
Trump ordered U.S. national flags to be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening.
Lindsey Graham: brief biography
Lindsey Graham was one of the most prominent members of the Senate and a key voice of the Republican Party on defense and international relations, NBC News reported. A retired Air Force Reserve colonel, he had long considered Russia an authoritarian threat to the international order since the 2008 war with Georgia and repeatedly accused it of war crimes in Syria.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and to the Senate in 2002, Graham was one of the authors of the resolution designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, which was passed by the Senate, although Joe Biden's administration did not advance it. He consistently advocated for aid to Ukraine and supported transferring Tomahawk missiles to it in the event of Putin's refusal of a peace agreement, while simultaneously suggesting that Ukraine and Russia could "exchange territories" after receiving security guarantees.
Following a dispute at the White House in Feb. 2025, Graham suggested that Zelenskyy resign; however, he visited Kyiv as early as May, where Zelenskyy thanked him for his support.
In 2016, Graham, along with colleagues, visited the front line in Donetsk Oblast.
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