On July 12th, local time, the office of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, announced that Graham passed away due to an sudden illness on the evening of July 11th, local time. She was 71 years old.
According to CNN, Taylor Reddy, Graham's communications director, revealed in a statement on the 12th that preliminary investigations by the Forensic Office in Washington D.C. indicated that Graham's cause of death was an aortic dissection caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
The statement says: "Until all toxicological and microscopic tests are completed, the death certificate will remain in a ' Pending' status. Once all tests are completed, the death certificate will be updated to clarify the cause of death and to classify the manner of death appropriately."
Lindsay Graham IC Photo
Graham was elected to the Senate in 2003 and is a close political ally of U.S. President Trump. He has served as the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and plans to seek re-election for a fifth six-year term this November. Graham is known for his "hawkish" stance, and many critics accuse him of being a "war monger."
Graham had just concluded his visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, before his death. He met with Ukrainian President Zelensky on July 10th.
CNN reports that Trump has ordered all flags in the United States to be lowered to half-mast as a sign of mourning, until July 18. Four sources from American law enforcement agencies say that investigators have not found any signs of murder or unnatural death.
