Emergency officials rushed to his around 8:30 p.m. following reports of severe chest pains. Medics frantically performed CPR at the scene, but he was later pronounced dead.
Preliminary medical examiner findings showed he suffered an aortic dissection, a tear in his aorta brought on by chronic heart disease. The condition was linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which causes a dangerous hardening of the arteries.
His family had a known history of cardiac issues. His father, Florence James Graham, had also died from a sudden heart attack in his late 60s.
Hours before his death, Graham spoke on the phone with Donald Trump around 7:00 p.m. Trump noted that the senator sounded great, though he was a little bit tired.
Trump ordered national flags to fly at half-staff until next Saturday evening to honor his memory. He described the long-serving South Carolina Republican as a true member of his own family.
Just before his passing on Friday, Graham had finalized a major agreement with the Trump administration regarding a package of Russia sanctions. He was also scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press the following morning.
The foreign policy hawk was the fourth-longest-serving senator in South Carolina’s history. He follows behind GOP Sen. Strom Thurmond and Democratic Sens. Ellison Smith and Fritz Hollings.
Graham is the first senator to die as an incumbent since former Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death in 2023 at 90. His sudden departure leaves a major void in the Senate, where seniority determines influence.
Long before he became a Washington titan, Graham came from incredibly humble, blue-collar roots. He grew up in the small town of Central, South Carolina, where his parents operated a local bar, liquor store, and pool hall.
The family lived in a tiny room directly behind the tavern, known as the Sanitary Cafe. They shared a single bathroom with local mill workers who stopped by after their shifts.
Young Lindsey took baths using water heated up on the kitchen stove to keep clean. By the age of 12, he was already working downstairs, racking tables for pool players to help with financial struggles.
Standing before a cluster of microphones, Lindsey Graham addresses reporters after a national television appearance. The confident exchange hints at the media presence that would become a defining part of his long political career. | Source: Getty Images
He helped stock ice buckets with Pabst Blue Ribbon beers for the regulars at the bar. He also kept a few Budweisers and Millers on hand for what he called the free thinkers.
