Graham reportedly refused medical help before scheduled TV appearance

The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reportedly wanted to hold off getting medical assistance until after his scheduled appearance on NBC’s "Meet the Press."

In what could have been his final conversation, Graham, who suddenly died at 71 years old after a "brief and sudden illness," told a person that he was feeling unwell, Axios reported. When the person pushed the lawmaker to get medical attention, he reportedly said that he’d do so after his TV hit.

After he held a call with President Donald Trump, Graham, in what could have been his final conversation before his sudden passing, told an unnamed source that he was feeling unwell, Axios reported. When the source pushed the lawmaker to get medical attention, he reportedly said he'd wait until after his "Meet the Press" appearance on Sunday.

"I can't die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization," Graham said, according to the report.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during the demonstration for human rights in Iran at Theresienwiese during the 62nd Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, 2026, in Munich, Germany. (Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

Graham’s office released a preliminary cause of death on Sunday evening that found the longtime lawmaker had died from "aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease."

Aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery, and is a life-threatening medical emergency.

"The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death," Graham’s office said.

MEDICAL EXAMINER RELEASES PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN LINDSEY GRAHAM'S DEATH AS DEATH CERTIFICATE REMAINS PENDING

President Donald Trump had believed he may have been the last person to speak with Graham before his death.

"I don't know exactly, but I got a message about 1 in the morning from one of the people in his office that he had passed away. I said, ‘I just can't believe it,’" Trump told NBC’s "Meet the Press." "He was like a member of the family to me. It's very tough, actually."

One of Graham’s top priorities before his death was laying the groundwork to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel — one of his many forays into foreign affairs in the region.

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Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., traveled with Graham overseas. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

He had just come from Ukraine, and had renewed backing from the White House for one of his other top priorities — levying bone-crushing sanctions against Russia to cripple its war machine.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who traveled with Graham overseas, said in a statement on Saturday that his death should spur the passage of their Russia sanctions package.

"There can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy or the causes he fought for than to pass this legislation and realize his long-held dream of an independent and secure Ukraine," Shaheen said.

With the Senate’s scheduled return on Monday, the lawmaker's death leaves a power vacuum in the upper chamber and a scramble behind the scenes to replace him in South Carolina.

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Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., are both eyeing the seat and possible bids for the GOP nomination in the forthcoming special election. First, however, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has to appoint someone to fill the seat for the remainder of the year.

It also possibly jeopardizes elements of Trump’s agenda, including the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), nominations and his coveted SAVE America Act, which Graham strongly supported.