Preliminary findings indicate that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) died from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Taylor Reidy shared the findings Sunday on X and said the information came from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia.
“The preliminary examination findings were: Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,” the statement said.
The medical examiner’s office has not issued a final death certificate.
“The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death,” the statement said.
The following information is from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia’s preliminary findings regarding Senator Graham’s death:
“The preliminary examination findings were:
– Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.
“The death… https://t.co/IgmXTGo1L4
— Taylor Reidy (@taylor_reidy) July 12, 2026
Graham died Saturday evening at age 71. His office initially described his death as the result of a “brief and sudden illness,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
What the preliminary finding means
An aortic dissection occurs when a tear forms in the inner layer of the aorta, the body’s main artery. Blood can enter the tear and separate layers of the artery wall, creating a medical emergency that can quickly become fatal.
The preliminary findings attributed Graham’s aortic dissection to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a condition involving hardened arteries.
Additional toxicological and microscopic testing could provide more information before the medical examiner updates the death certificate and classifies the manner of death.
Dispatch audio circulates
Nick Sortor posted emergency dispatch audio on X that he said documented the response at Graham’s Washington home.
Sortor wrote that D.C. Fire and EMS personnel found Graham in cardiac arrest and transported him to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead shortly afterward.
The recording appears to capture emergency responders discussing cardiac arrest and transportation to a hospital. The Dallas Express has not independently verified the source of the audio.
🚨 BREAKING: Lindsey Graham’s preliminary cause of death has been been revealed
Per the DC medical examiner, Graham died from:
“aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease”
DC Fire found Graham in his home suffering from cardiac arrest. He was transported… pic.twitter.com/6TrbrReNQK
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 12, 2026
Graham represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate from 2003 until his death and chaired the Senate Budget Committee.
The medical examiner’s preliminary findings provide the first specific medical explanation for Graham’s sudden death, but officials have not completed the final death certificate.
