Lindsey Graham: Medical Examiner Releases Preliminary Cause Of Death

The Medical Examiner of Washington, District of Columbia, released preliminary details on Sunday after examining the body of deceased Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Graham’s office shared a statement with several outlets on Sunday afternoon, revealing details about what the ME believed had caused the senator’s sudden death at the age of 71: “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.”

According to the statement, the findings are preliminary until all forensic testing — including both microscopic and toxicological — has been completed.

“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,” it read.

Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) is a condition in which plaque — made up of calcium, fatty deposits, and cholesterol — sticks to the interior walls of arteries, causing them to become more narrow and less flexible over time. The restriction of blood flow leads to a number of serious conditions, from high blood pressure and Coronary Artery Disease to heart attacks and strokes.

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and aortic dissection — a tear in the wall of the aorta — is an immediately life-threatening condition characterized by sharp pain in the chest or back. The same condition was responsible for the sudden deaths of actors Alan Thicke in 2016 and John Ritter in 2003.

According to a report published Sunday by The New York Post, EMTs were dispatched to Graham’s Capitol Hill residence at 8:30 p.m. local time to assist a man who was suffering from sever chest pains. Approximately 25 minutes later, emergency responders confirmed that they were performing CPR on a man in his 70s following a sudden cardiac arrest.

Their arrival, according to the same report, was initially complicated by a dead-bolted door — one that the unidentified 911-caller had said was likely to be unlocked. The caller was reportedly en route from Baltimore, Maryland, to Graham’s location at the time the call was made.

Graham was transported from his residence to George Washington University Hospital at approximately 9:30 p.m., and within a few hours, his office had published a statement confirming his death from a “brief and sudden illness.”

President Donald Trump offered his thoughts on the matter almost immediately, and even stepped in to do the “Meet the Press” interview Graham had been scheduled to do on Sunday morning — but when asked about Iran, he made it clear that he was only there to talk about his friend.

Later in the day, Trump announced via his Truth Social platform that flags across the nation would be lowered in Graham’s honor for the next week: “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!”