Senator Lindsey Graham's cause of death was an aortic tear, says medical examiner - BBC
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has passed away at age 71 due to an aortic dissection. The report details his political career, his foreign policy influence, and his complex relationship with Donald Trump.
Why it matters
Graham was a significant figure in American foreign policy and Republican politics, and his death marks a notable shift in the Senate's political landscape.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Ella Kipling Getty Images Lindsey Graham died at the age of 71 US Senator Lindsey Graham died of an "aortic dissection" caused by cardiovascular disease, according to a preliminary finding by the Washington DC medical examiner.
An aortic dissection is a tear in the main artery that carries blood to the body.
Graham, a close Republican ally of President Donald Trump, died at the age of 71 on Saturday evening.
Elected to the Senate in 2002, the South Carolina politician was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.
Graham's spokesperson said the death certificate would be pending until "all the toxicological and microscopic testing" was finalised.
The senator had just returned from a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
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