Lindsey Graham dies at age 71 after “a brief and sudden illness”
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died on July 11, according to his office. He was 71 years old.
WASHINGTON – Emergency responders received a report of a person experiencing chest pain at Sen. Lindsey Graham’s home and then performed CPR on the person who went into apparent cardiac arrest, according to audio reviewed by USA TODAY.
Graham, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and one of the most influential men in the Senate, died on Saturday, July 11. His office said only that it was a “short-term, sudden illness.” The lawmaker’s cause of death has not been announced.
According to audio from Broadcastify, a website that archives public safety radio footage, emergency personnel were called to Graham’s home on Capitol Hill around 8:30 p.m. ET after receiving a report of someone suffering from chest pains.
According to the audio, the dispatcher indicated the caller was an unidentified woman who was on her way home from Baltimore. Dispatchers said the caller believed the door was unlocked, but emergency workers said the door was completely bolted shut and no one came to the door despite multiple knocks.
According to the audio, the dispatcher then requested assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department to enter the home. Shortly after 8:50 p.m. ET, paramedics said CPR was being performed and the man was in apparent cardiac arrest.
Neither dispatchers nor emergency responders identified Graham by name. At some point, paramedics contacted a 73-year-old man. Graham was 71 years old.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised Graham in a post on X, saying the FBI is “supporting local governments and making available all necessary resources.”
Shortly before paramedics arrived at his home, Graham, who had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, spoke by phone with President Trump.
“He said he was a little tired,” Trump said in a July 12 phone interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” It was a long trip, many hours, and he just got back.
President Trump said emergency responders appeared to have arrived at Graham’s home shortly after the call ended.
“The police, whoever they were, would have been there shortly after, around 7:30 or 8 p.m.,” Trump said, adding that the two sides plan to meet again soon.
“I thought we might see each other today, and that was it,” the president said. “That may have been his last call. I don’t know exactly.”
