Sen. Lindsey Graham likely died after aorta rupture, medical examiner says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has died after a brief illness. The South Carolina Republican was 71. Graham was known for advocating a strong U.S. foreign policy. He initially opposed Trump and ran against him for president in 2016, but later became a staunch supporter. Graham had just returned from Ukraine, where he’d meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Graham was known for advising Trump on matters such as Iran and Russia. Trump says Graham “sounded a little bit tired, but perfect,” when the senator called the president Saturday night after returning from his trip. The Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia’s preliminary findings are Graham died of aortic dissection.
Lindsey Graham’s journey from a pool hall to the heights of political power
Lindsey Graham was the garrulous son of South Carolina pool hall owners and he rose to become a prominent senator and fixture on the global stage. The high-energy Republican lawmaker was known for his Southern drawl, political flexibility and reliably hawkish stance on foreign policy. He first won election to Congress in 1994 and he ran for the White House in 2016 as a determined opponent of Donald Trump. Later, he became one of the new president’s staunchest allies. Graham died Saturday night after what his office called “a brief and sudden illness.” He was 71.
Lindsey Graham remembered for a vision of American foreign policy that’s fading in Washington
NATO allies, Ukraine and Israel have paid tribute to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham as a friend and advocate of trans-Atlantic ties. Graham was a high-profile figure in global foreign policy both before and during the Trump era. Graham visited Ukraine just before his death and announced an agreement on sanctions against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Graham visited Ukraine 10 times during Russia’s full-scale invasion. A one-time critic of Trump turned close ally, Graham drew tributes for his longtime commitment to NATO and trans-Atlantic friendship at a time when those ties have been under pressure.
McConnell says a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking weeks of silence about health condition
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Mitch McConnell is revealing for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican’s health. McConnell, 84, said in a statement Sunday that he has undergone a battery of tests as doctors try to determine what led to his fall. He explained the long silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.” McConnell said he is now in a rehabilitation center and will not be returning to the Senate “quite yet.” McConnell had provided little information since his hospitalization on June 14, his office insisting only that he was “receiving excellent care” and recovering.