Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan paused a live broadcast to share that law enforcement sources told the network that “foul play” does not appear to be a factor in the South Carolina senator’s death.
The update came just hours after President Donald Trump announced Graham’s passing early Sunday morning on social media. The longtime lawmaker had returned to Washington D.C., from a trip to Ukraine shortly before his death.
“President Trump here at the White House earlier today had ordered that all flags across the country be lowered to half staff in support of the life of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham,” Hogan said during the segment. “Now, we also know that it was early this morning that the senator’s team, their official office, releasing that he had died of what they are calling a ‘brief and sudden illness.’”
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Shortly after the broadcast, more details began to emerge about the circumstances surrounding Graham’s death.
According to preliminary findings from the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the 71-year-old died from a ruptured aorta brought on by chronic heart disease. The condition was formally identified as Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.
Fox News has been covering Lindsey Graham’s death -Credit:FOX News
Graham’s communications director, Taylor Reidy, shared the findings publicly on X on Sunday, July 12.
“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,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement.
Before the official cause of death was released, speculation began circulating online.
Far-right influencer and Trump ally Laura Loomer posted on X that Graham’s death should be investigated to determine whether “Iran or Russia poisoned” the senator, “who suddenly died last night very unexpectedly.”
Lindsey Graham died suddenly on July 12 -Credit:Getty Images
Others shared similar conspiracy theories, pointing to earlier remarks suggesting that the FBI would assist in any investigation. Critics later argued that those comments helped fuel the online speculation.
Meanwhile, reporting from The Wall Street Journal added new context to the timeline of events leading up to Graham’s death. The outlet reported that emergency responders were called to the senator’s home Saturday night and “performed CPR on an individual suffering from cardiac arrest,” according to dispatch audio reviewed by the paper.
Trump also spoke about his final conversation with Graham during a call-in to Sunday news programs. He described speaking with the senator shortly before learning of his death.
“I spoke to him, just, he had already landed. Was probably at his place. I don’t know where he was, but I spoke to him, and then I got a call a few hours later saying late in the evening, at 2:00 in the morning, actually. But they found out about it, I think about 8:00 about his problem. So it had to be something very quick because he was fine when I spoke to him. Other than being tired, he was fine,” Trump said.