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Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and chair of the Senate Budget Committee, during a confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. If confirmed, Hal Duncan would replace former Representative Dan Bishop, who served as OMB’s deputy director before Trump sent him back to North Carolina to be a federal prosecutor. Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham died Saturday at age 71.
  • Preliminary findings identified aortic dissection (aortic tear) as the cause of his death.
  • Aortic dissection is a life threatening medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, has died at age 71.

In a statement released Sunday, Graham’s office announced that the longtime South Carolina senator had died Saturday evening following what it described as a “brief and sudden illness.”

Hours later, the office released a second statement sharing preliminary findings from the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

According to the statement, the preliminary findings determined that Graham died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

However, the statement said the death certificate will remain pending until toxicology and microscopic testing are complete.

Before the preliminary findings were released, NBC News reported that emergency responders were dispatched to Graham’s Washington, D.C., residence Saturday night during a medical emergency involving cardiac arrest, citing police dispatch audio obtained by the outlet.

The Wall Street Journal, which independently reviewed the dispatch audio, reported that responders were initially dispatched for chest pain before the incident escalated to cardiac arrest. According to the dispatch audio, emergency crews forced entry into the home before beginning CPR.

Graham represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate from 2003 until his death and was one of the Senate’s leading Republican voices on national security and foreign policy.

An aortic dissection (also known as an aortic tear) is a life threatening medical emergency that occurs when a tear develops in the inner layer of the aorta, the body’s largest artery.

Blood can then flow between the layers of the artery wall, causing them to separate.

The condition can reduce blood flow to vital organs or cause the aorta to rupture. Symptoms often include sudden, severe chest or back pain, although they can vary depending on which part of the aorta is affected.

Without prompt treatment, an aortic dissection can quickly become fatal.

Risk factors include long-standing high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, certain inherited connective tissue disorders, and aortic enlargement.

Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Healthline will update this article as additional information becomes available.