US Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the Republican Party's most influential foreign policy voices and a long-time ally of President Donald Trump, died from an aortic dissection linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, commonly known as hardening of the arteries, as per a preliminary report from the District Columbia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, according to reports. The findings were released a day after the South Carolina senator's death at the age of 71.
An aortic dissection is a medical emergency in which the inner layer of the body's main artery tears, allowing blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall and potentially causing it to rupture.
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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.”, AP News reported.
Graham was initially one of Donald Trump's sharpest Republican critics during the 2016 presidential campaign, but later became one of Trump's closest allies in Congress, particularly on judicial nominations, foreign policy and national security. He remained a prominent Republican voice on issues involving Russia, Ukraine, Iran and Israel.
In a tribute to Graham, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!"
Graham and Trump displayed an ever-changing relationship throughout their political careers. Back in 2015, Graham publicly called out Trump during a CNN interview for being a "race baiting, xenophobic religious bigot," while condemning his position in the Republican Party and accusing him of tarnishing the party's history.
Graham, however, shifted significantly once Trump won the White House race and emerged as one of Trump's top allies, speaking with him frequently and becoming a regular presence on the golf course alongside the president.
AP News stated that Graham appeared to break with Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, saying in a dramatic speech on the Senate floor that night, “Count me out. Enough is enough.” But the senator soon returned to Trump's side and the two remained close during Trump's second term.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed condolences. “Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer,” Zelenskyy said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable. “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Netanyahu said.
Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham's senate seat. A special election will later be held to elect someone to serve the remainder of Graham's term.
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