Lindsey Graham's cause of unexpected death at 71 revealed by medical examiner

Late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

The unexpected death of Lindsey Graham, the longtime U.S. Senator from South Carolina, on Saturday night was caused by an aortic tear, according to a preliminary report by the Washington, D.C., medical examiner's office.

The 71-year-old senator's death over the weekend sent shockwaves through the nation's capital, drawing reactions from across the political spectrum and, of course, President Donald Trump, to whom Graham had been a close ally. The medical examiner's report cited “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease” as the most likely cause of Graham's death, meaning a tear in the body's largest and main artery occurred and was brought on by a hardening of the arteries, according to The Associated Press. 

"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 said in the report.

Graham had just celebrated his 71st birthday two days before his death and had also just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and President Trump said Sunday that he spoke with Graham just hours before his death. On Meet The Press, Trump said Graham "sounded a little tired," and speculated that the phone call with the president "could have been his last call."

Trump went on to say that he discussed the SAVE Act with Graham, who brought the measure to a vote that failed in the Senate in early June. "What makes it even stranger is that I got a call last night sometime in the early evening … and he called and said we're all set for the Save America Act," Trump recalled. "We thought maybe we might even meet today. And then that was it.” Watch a clip of Trump's remarks below about his last conversation with Graham and how he learned about the senator's death.

On Monday, Trump suggested South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster should appoint Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish out his Senate term. Graham was up for re-election in this November's midterm elections.

Trump and Graham had a mostly strong relationship during his years in the White House, although they did have some brief falling outs at times. They're relationship got off to a tumultuous start as the two faced off in a crowded field for the Republican presidential nomination during the 2016 election cycle. 

In one of the more memorable moments of the 2016 election cycle, as Trump and Graham feuded, Trump called Graham a "lightweight" and an "idiot." Then, in an amusing stunt during a campaign rally, Trump publicly revealed Graham's personal cellphone number, reading out to supporters at the rally and drawing a round of laughs and applause. Watch a highlight of that moment below. The stunt led to Graham making a comical video showing how to destroy your cellphone.