New emergency audio is shedding light on the frantic final hours before the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, the longtime South Carolina Republican and close ally of President Donald Trump.
Graham died Saturday night, July 11, just one day after he was photographed in Kyiv meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He was 71.
His office said he died from a “brief and sudden illness,” but did not release a cause of death.
Now, emergency scanner audio obtained by The Washington Post reveals that first responders were called to Graham’s Capitol Hill home around 8:30 p.m. Saturday for a person suffering chest pains.
About 25 minutes later, according to the audio, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and that a man at the home was in cardiac arrest.
CNN also aired 911 dispatch audio connected to the emergency call from Graham’s house. In the recording, the words “cardiac arrest” can be heard, though part of the audio was bleeped out.
The call did not confirm Graham’s official cause of death.
NBC News reviewed photographs showing paramedics carrying a person on a stretcher from Graham’s home to an ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also seen at the property.
The Washington Post also reported that a resident on Graham’s street shared photos of an older man being taken from the home and loaded into an ambulance around 9:30 p.m. He was transported to George Washington University Hospital.
The stunning emergency came just hours after Graham returned from a high-profile trip to Ukraine.
On Friday, July 10, he met with Zelensky in Kyiv. Zelensky later wrote on social media that the pair had a “good meeting,” adding, “I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors.”
Graham also spoke to reporters that day while standing in front of tanks. It would become 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.
He also called for stronger tools to punish countries that support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.
“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,” Graham said.
There had been no obvious sign that Graham was in poor health before his sudden death. A top staffer told NBC News early Sunday that there had been no known health concerns.
Graham had even been scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
His office has not released further details. In its statement, the office said Graham’s family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
Graham never married and did not have children.
Trump reacted to Graham’s death in a Truth Social post at 3:21 a.m., calling the senator “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.”
“He was always working, and was a true American Patriot,” Trump wrote. “Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
Graham’s longtime communications adviser, Kevin Bishop, also confirmed the news on X.
“Incredibly sad day,” Bishop 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.”
Graham’s sudden death comes amid renewed attention on the health of aging political leaders in Washington. In recent weeks, 84-year-old Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell was hospitalized for undisclosed health reasons.
For Graham, the end came with startling speed. One day he was overseas, speaking publicly about Ukraine, Russia, and American foreign policy. The next night, emergency crews were at his home trying to save his life.
This is a developing story.