WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lindsey Graham died from aorta rupture stemming from hardening of arteries: preliminary finding...

[demmiblue]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lindsey Graham died from aorta rupture stemming from hardening of arteries: preliminary finding from medical examiner.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lindsey Graham died from aorta rupture stemming from hardening of arteries: preliminary finding from medical examiner.

— Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) 2026-07-12T20:59:53.032Z

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— Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) 2026-07-12T21:11:25.696Z

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia’s preliminary findings are that Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a statement released by his office on Sunday.

That is when the aorta is damaged or develops a leak.

The statement also said that the death certificate will be pending until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized. At that point, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death.

[durablend]

1. That implies he had a heart. Questionable.

[William Seger]

22. He HAD a heart, until it hardened, but that's been decades

[MarineCombatEngineer]

2. Unless you're right there in a hospital,

a ruptured aorta is 99% of the time a death sentence, and even if it happens in a hospital, chances are you're not going to survive it.

[popsdenver]

10. Commonly referred to as a

TRIPLE A..................if that is what it was............

[Pinback]

19. Right - abdominal aortic aneurysm

Basically a ticking time bomb.

[Stacey Grove]

3. To quote Forrest Gump:

"It happens."

Oopsie daisy.

[malaise]

4. Please tell Cash

He appears to be heading on a wild goose chase

[BlueKentuckyGirl]

17. Who is Cash?

[malaise]

18. KKKash n/t

[BlueKentuckyGirl]

23. ??

Still don't understand. And what does n/t mean?

[malaise]

25. Kash Patel and the conspiracy about a fatal heart death

n/t = no text

[BlueKentuckyGirl]

28. Got it.

[BlueKentuckyGirl]

27. Ok. I get it.

You meant Kash Patel!! "Cash" threw me off. Still don't know what "n/t" means, tho.

[UpInArms]

29. n/t

Means

no text

[SSJVegeta]

40. New to DU or new to the internet entirely? 😒

[Pinback]

42. A look at the poster's profile reveals

they’ve been a member of DU since 2010. So, no on both counts. Why the brusque response?

[sarisataka]

5. That will take you out fast

near 0% survival chance if it happens at home.

[LR3]

6. "Brief Illness" indeed

n/t

[MarineCombatEngineer]

7. Yep, it definitely would've been brief. nt

[Cha]

16. But clogged arteries.. a long time to work up to it.

Wouldn't it be something doctors should notice in physical exams?

Imagine what his diet was like. Not heart-healthy.

TY!

[BattleRow]

21. Maxed out sharing big Macs with ole McDonald..

[Cha]

26. That might do it, along with Southern Fried

Chicken, fried corn with bacon, and hush puppies: fried okra, chicken-fried steak, etc..

It's making me hungry, and I'm vegan! Thinking of the early days.

Just can't gorge on that kind of food.

[BattleRow]

30. Southern fried and early died.

But some say,"What a way to go!"

Amazing that Merde a Lardo hasnt latched on to Southern food....honey child..

[valleyrogue]

8. Likely a family history of heart disease.

His father was 68 when he died from a heart attack in the mid-1970s.

[3catwoman3]

9. That is not a "leak." That is a major blowout...

...and will take you out damn fast.

[lonely bird]

11. Our adopted son almost died from an aortic dissection

It did not blow out but was getting near to it. ER doc caught it and he was life flighted toUH Hospital main campus in Cleveland. He was 27 at the time.

[BattleRow]

12. Has it ever been established who called 911?

[ZDU]

13. Log Cabin Republican?

[BattleRow]

20. No clue...but interesting that Kash is enlisted to carry on an investigation.

Wtf?

[ZDU]

32. Ka$H is a good boy!

Lie. Lie. Lie!
Sit.
Be a good boy!
Growl.
Attack! Attack!

[BattleRow]

39. Kash and carry...

[canetoad]

31. I read here on DU

Last edited Sun Jul 12, 2026, 09:21 PM - Edit history (1)

That he felt unwell and called his sister. I'll look for a link.

On edit: It was his niece, per this post. https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221371216

[BattleRow]

38. Thats so appreciated..I had never seen any indications of who may have alerted 911.

[SpankMe]

14. Seems he was susceptible to a cardiac event

This morning there were some factoids published that Graham had been diagnosed with, and was under ongoing treatment for, hypertension since his 40's. And his father died of a heart attack at nearly the same age as Lindsey.

Sounds like bad genetics with a large component of bad diet (i.e., southern food).

Politics aside, if you've had a parent with heart issues early in their lives, keep on top of your cardiac health. You can't escape genetics. But you can decrease your risk of heart disease-related death, at least somewhat.

[LisaL]

15. Yes, hypertension is a risk factor for aortic dissection.

NT

[GaYellowDawg]

24. So...

I'm an atheist, but can't resist this joke.

God said, "Lindsey Graham is still alive? Aorta do something about that!"

[bucolic_frolic]

33. Treatable if caught in time

He put on weight these last 3-4 years. So many medications to treat blockages, to dissolve plaque and keep arteries flexible, alt treatments to clean them out.

[LeftInTX]

35. Odds are he was getting treatment.

My husband has two stents. He had them put in 2024 and had another episode this spring. There are lots of meds too.

He had gained weight and his eyes were puffy.

Sometimes that's just the way it is.

[underpants]

34. I'm surprised this hadn't been diagnosed or Dr.'s weren't aware of it

Not a conspiracy theory, I’d just think he’d have more comprehensive treatment.

[LeftInTX]

36. Even the best treatment can't prevent death.

Odds are that he was, since his father had died fairly young. Bad genes etc.

[oswaldactedalone]

37. Unless you're tested specifically for the

possibility of aortic aneurysm via ultrasound, you don’t know you have the problem. My stepson, now late 50s experienced low back and abdominal pain with no known cause.
As a PT, I searched for possible reasons for symptoms like his and told him it could potentially be an aneurysm. He doesn’t like to visit doctors but we picked him up and told him to get in the car as he was going to the ER and we weren’t taking no for an answer.

The ultrasound showed a significant bulge in the aorta and he was taken immediately to surgery. Without the ultrasound exam showing the severity of the situation, the surgeon said he likely had maybe an hour or two before it blew. He had the surgery, did the rehab and now two years later is working his full-time job.

[underpants]

41. Great to hear. Good for you.

I’m glad he’s better.

I have regular CT scans but I’ve never had an ultrasound. I had an ultrasound on my liver two weeks ago. With our insurance, I do any test any Dr. wants.

[chapterhouse]

43. Graham died sniveling up to Trump

I can't think of any worse or more degrading way for an American to go out.