Lindsey Graham: Medical Examiner Releases Preliminary Cause Of Death

Medical Examiner Releases Preliminary Cause of Death for Senator Lindsey Graham

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia released preliminary findings on Sunday following an examination of the body of Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. Graham’s office issued a statement Sunday afternoon that quoted the examiner’s determination of the cause as “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.”

The statement noted that the findings remain preliminary pending completion of microscopic and toxicological testing. It added that the death certificate will stay pending until those results are finalized, at which point the certificate will be updated to list the cause and manner of death.

Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease involves the buildup of plaque containing calcium, fatty deposits, and cholesterol along artery walls, which narrows the vessels and reduces flexibility. This process can contribute to elevated blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes. An aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the aorta, the body’s largest artery; the condition produces sudden, severe chest or back pain and requires immediate medical intervention. The same condition has been documented in the deaths of actor Alan Thicke in 2016 and actor John Ritter in 2003.

A report published Sunday by the New York Post stated that emergency medical technicians were sent to Graham’s Capitol Hill residence at 8:30 p.m. local time after a report of severe chest pain. Roughly 25 minutes later, responders confirmed they were administering CPR to a man in his seventies who had experienced sudden cardiac arrest. The same account indicated that responders initially encountered a dead-bolted door, although the 911 caller had stated the door would likely be unlocked; the caller was reported to be traveling from Baltimore, Maryland, at the time.

Graham was transported to George Washington University Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Within hours, his office released a statement describing the death as resulting from a “brief and sudden illness.”

President Donald Trump commented on the death shortly after it was confirmed and substituted for Graham on a scheduled Sunday morning appearance on the NBC program “Meet the Press.” When asked about Iran during the segment, Trump stated he was appearing only to discuss his friend. Later that day, Trump posted on his Truth Social account that flags would be lowered nationwide in Graham’s honor for one week, writing: “In honor of the remarkable life and achievements of Senator Lindsey Graham, a dear friend of mine, and a truly great man, who achieved so much for our Country, and his beloved Home State of South Carolina, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Saturday evening at 6 P.M. GOD BLESS YOU LINDSEY!”