Sen. Lindsey Graham, 71, dies in Washington, D.C., from complications related to his aorta, according to preliminary findings released by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Multiple outlets report that the preliminary cause of death is listed as “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,” commonly described as an aortic dissection triggered by long-term hardening of the arteries and associated cardiovascular illness. The findings are presented as early results from the medical examiner’s investigation and do not represent the final determination.
Several reports also note that a death certificate remains pending because additional work is still underway. The Hill and others state that the certificate is expected to be updated after toxicological and microscopic testing are completed. Graham’s office previously characterized his death as occurring after a “brief and sudden illness,” and authorities have not described a final, fully confirmed cause beyond the medical examiner’s preliminary findings. Across sources, the central details remain consistent: aortic dissection is cited as the likely mechanism of death, connected to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
