WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 27: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 27, 2026, in Washington, DC. Republican senators gathered to introduce legislation to fund construction of a White House ballroom …
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died Saturday after a brief and unexpected illness, his office said in a statement posted on social media.
Lindsey Graham's sudden illness
What we know:
The statement said the South Carolina Republican died Saturday night "from a brief and sudden illness."
He was 71.
On Sunday, the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia's preliminary findings said that Graham died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This is a rupture stemming from hardening of the arteries.
The medical examiner's statement said a death certificate is pending until toxicology testing is finalized. At that point, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death.
Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002. He has been a close ally of President Donald Trump and a longtime hawk on Iran.
As a member of the U.S. House in the 1990s, he backed policies aimed at isolating the country and limiting its missile and nuclear programs.
This is developing, check back for updates
The Source: Information from this story was sourced from the Associated Press and social media account for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.