Republican Senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham,71, died just hours after returning from a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine.
In a statement, Graham’s office said he died on Saturday night “from a brief and sudden illness.” He was photographed meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine on Friday, and celebrated his 71st birthday last Thursday.
Emergency responders worked to stabilize a man at Graham’s home on Saturday night, then transported him to the hospital, according to police scanner audio obtained by The Washington Post.
They responded to a call around 8:30 p.m. for a person suffering chest pains at a Capitol Hill home owned by Graham, according to the audio obtained by the Post. About 25 minutes later, emergency personnel said that CPR was in progress and that a man at the house was suffering from cardiac arrest.
CNN aired 911 dispatch audio related to the call from Graham’s house, where the words “cardiac arrest” can be heard, as well as a section of the call which is bleeped out. The call contains no confirmation of the cause of the senator’s death.
Photographs NBC News reviewed showed paramedics carrying a person on a stretcher from Graham’s house to a waiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also on site.
The Post reported a resident on Graham’s street also shared photos of an older man being taken from Graham’s home and loaded into an ambulance around 9:30 p.m., before being taken to George Washington University Hospital.
Graham was scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
There was no indication Graham was feeling unwell prior to his sudden death, a top staffer told NBC News early Sunday, and there had been no known concerns over Graham’s health.
Graham’s office did not provide any further details about the Republican’s sudden death, and said his family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period. Graham never married or had children.
On Friday, Zelensky, wrote on social media that pair had a “good meeting”, adding: “I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors.”
The lack of information about his death follows recent concern about the health of other lawmakers, including Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, 84, who was hospitalized weeks ago for undisclosed health reasons.
Graham also spoke to the media on Friday, standing in front of tanks, to discuss an agreement to punish Russia, in what is now his final public appearance.
“There are some things we can do on the technology front to build on the lethality of Ukraine to protect itself from ballistic missile attack,” Graham said.
“If we did that, combined with creating tools to punish those countries that prop up Putin and make money off this war, then I think we’ve got the best chance since I’ve been coming here in the last five years to get Putin to the peace table.”
President Trump posted a tribute to Graham on Truth Social at 3:21 a.m that read, “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Graham’s communications adviser Kevin Bishop confirmed the death on X.
“Incredibly sad day,” he wrote. “As his Communications Director for 27 years he was truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed. South Carolina and America have lost a great public servant.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
