'I Can't Die Now': Lindsey Graham Joked After Feeling Unwell, Refused Medical Help Before Death

Last Updated:July 13, 2026, 22:56 IST

A preliminary report from the District of Columbia Medical Examiner found that Graham died from an aortic rupture caused by hardened arteries.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham reportedly turned down advice to seek urgent medical treatment just hours before his sudden death, joking that he “can’t die now" because he still had major foreign policy goals to complete.

According to Axios, in his final hours, Graham spoke to US President Donald Trump by phone on Saturday evening after returning from a visit to Ukraine. During the call, he reportedly updated Trump on his trip and discussed his push for the Senate to vote on tougher sanctions against Russia.

Graham Brushed Off Health Concerns

After the call, a person who spoke with Graham told Axios that the South Carolina senator said he was feeling unwell. The person asked him to seek immediate medical attention, but Graham reportedly replied that he would wait until Sunday morning after his scheduled appearance on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’.

He then reportedly joked that he “can’t die now", adding: “I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalisation."

Just a few hours later, the veteran lawmaker died unexpectedly at the age of 71.

A preliminary report from the District of Columbia Medical Examiner found that Graham died from an aortic rupture caused by hardened arteries. His office had initially announced that he had passed away following a “brief and sudden illness".

Final Hours Before His Death

Graham had been expected to appear on ‘Meet the Press‘ on Sunday morning. Instead, Trump joined the programme and paid tribute to one of his closest political allies.

The US president said the pair had spoken on Saturday evening and had even discussed meeting the following day. Reflecting on the conversation, Trump remarked that it “could have been his last call" with Graham.

“He’s a tough one to lose. He was great. He was unique in every way, actually," Trump told NBC.

Graham spent decades shaping US foreign policy and remained one of the strongest Republican voices in support of Ukraine. Although he was once a fierce critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, the two later became close allies, with Graham backing Trump’s return to the White House in 2024.

(With inputs from agencies)

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