Emergency dispatch audio obtained by Fox News Digital indicates that first responders were dispatched to Sen. Lindsey Graham's Washington, D.C., home on Saturday night for a reported cardiac arrest. The call came hours before his office announced that the 71-year-old senator had died from a "brief and sudden illness."
The initial dispatch occurred shortly after 8 p.m. ET, with responders sent to Graham's residence for the reported medical emergency. Radio traffic revealed that the caller initially stated the front door was unlocked. However, upon arrival, first responders found the door locked and received no response from inside, prompting a request for Metropolitan Police Department assistance to force entry.
Approximately 20 to 25 minutes after the initial dispatch, audio indicated that CPR was in progress as crews worked inside the home. The dispatch recordings do not identify Graham by name or specify the patient's condition. Further radio traffic indicated the incident would be handled as a "Capitol Police matter only." The final relevant communication concluded shortly after 9:30 p.m. ET.
Graham's office released a statement Sunday morning confirming his death. "On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness," the statement read. "Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period."
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia released preliminary findings Sunday, suggesting the cause of death was an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The death certificate remains pending, awaiting the completion of toxicology and microscopic testing.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to Graham on Truth Social Saturday night, calling the senator "a true American Patriot." Graham, a Republican representing South Carolina, was first elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving four terms in the House of Representatives. He had recently won the Republican primary and was seeking a fifth Senate term. He had served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and held positions on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees. Prior to his Senate service, Graham served for 33 years in the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 2015.