The South Carolina senator, 71, died on Saturday, July 11, from a ruptured aorta brought on by chronic heart disease

NEED TO KNOW

• Mitch McConnell shared a tribute to Lindsey Graham, calling him a “good friend and a great American”

• The South Carolina senator, 71, died on Saturday, July 11, from a ruptured aorta brought on by chronic heart disease
• McConnell also addressed his own recent health issues on Sunday, July 12, revealing he suffered a fall and had mild pneumonia during a hospital stay

Mitch McConnell spoke out about Lindsey Graham’s death, saying he was “shocked” by the news.

Following Graham’s death at age 71 on Saturday, July 11, McConnell, 84, shared a statement on social media in which he called his fellow Republican senator “a good friend and a great American.”

“Lindsey Graham was a good friend and a great American, and I was shocked and saddened by his passing,” McConnell wrote in his statement on Sunday, July 12. “His constituents and colleagues have counted on his straight talk, conviction, and boundless appetite for a worthy fight. The Senate will miss him, and Elaine and I are keeping his family in our prayers.”

The South Carolina lawmaker died from a ruptured aorta brought on by chronic heart disease, according to the preliminary examination findings of the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Graham’s office initially announced his death in a statement posted on social media, sharing that he experienced a “brief and sudden illness.”

McConnell’s statement about Graham’s death comes amid speculation about his own health.

On Sunday, he finally answered questions about his month-long hospital stay, sharing that he “took a fall” and “had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”

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“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” McConnell said in the statement. “I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”

McConnell has missed a number of Senate votes during his time in the hospital, narrowing Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s margins to pass legislation and confirm executive and judicial branch nominees.

The 84-year-old also shared on Sunday that he is still recovering in a rehabilitation center and “won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet.”

Graham, who most recently served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was seeking a fifth Senate term in November, was honored with tributes from several Republican Party leaders following his death.

In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump wrote: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Graham was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, having previously served as an Air Force lawyer. After being elected to the Senate in 2002, he had a brief presidential campaign in 2016.

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