Sen. Lindsey Graham likely died after aorta tear, preliminary medical exam finds

By — Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Seung Min Kim, Associated Press By — Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press By — Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/sen-lindsey-graham-likely-died-after-aorta-tear-preliminary-medical-exam-finds Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Sen. Lindsey Graham likely died after aorta tear, preliminary medical exam finds Politics Jul 13, 2026 10:04 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress who traveled the globe to advocate for a more aggressive U.S. foreign policy, died after a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary medical examiner finding shared by his office. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The tear in the inner wall of the aorta, called an aortic dissection, was related to the hardening of Graham's arteries. An official cause of death will be disclosed after toxicological and microscopic testing. Graham, a prominent South Carolina Republican and former Air Force lawyer who served in Congress for more than three decades, had turned 71 years old just two days before dying on Saturday night. His office had originally said he had suffered from a "brief and sudden illness." Trump, who talked to Graham frequently, said he was "like a member of the family. It's very tough." He said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Graham had called him on Saturday night after returning from a trip to Ukraine and "sounded a little bit tired, but perfect." The president ordered that flags across the country be flown at half-staff until next Saturday evening. A noted foreign policy hawk, Graham was one of the most influential figures in Washington on international affairs and he advised Trump on matters such as the Iran war and Russia. On Friday, Graham had announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of Russia sanctions. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham also had a central role during Trump's second term as Republicans pushed major legislation on party-line votes while holding a narrow 53-47 majority in the chamber. Under South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November. A new nominee will be selected in a special primary, which is required to be held within weeks of a vacancy. The winner of November's general election will start a full six-year term in January. Graham had a close, complicated relationship with Trump Graham, elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, long promoted a policy of robust U.S. military interventionism and strong national defense that in later years would put him at odds with the growing isolationist wing of his party. Over time