Graham asked a staffer to call 911 after reporting chest pains, GOP senator says
GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Saturday evening that one of his staffers was with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s scheduler when the late senator called the scheduler to complain of chest pains and asked him to call emergency services.
“Lindsey called, basically said, ‘Listen, I’ve got chest pains. You know, I need to do something,'” Tuberville told reporters Monday, quoting those involved.
Tuberville said Graham’s scheduler asked if he had called 911, and Graham responded, “no, that’s why I called you.”
“When he got there, 911 had broken down the door and they were working on him,” he said.
Senator’s account adds new details to what happened before Graham diedIt appears to confirm some aspects of what is known about an emergency phone call related to the incident.
CNN had previously reported that emergency responders were dispatched to Graham’s D.C. address around 8:30 p.m. for a report of someone experiencing chest pain, according to audio on Broadcastify. The audio indicates someone is calling from Baltimore and is heading home.
Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine and President Donald Trump told CNN: He spoke shortly before Graham’s death. The president said they discussed the voter ID bill — the “SAVE America Act” — and Graham’s recent travels.
“He said, ‘I’m tired because it’s been a long trip,’ but other than that, he was fine,” Trump said.
Taylor Reidy, Graham’s communications director, previously said the D.C. medical examiner’s office initially determined the senator died from complications from an illness. aortic dissection Due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease – essentially a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the main artery running through the body. Aortic dissection is not a heart attack, but symptoms such as chest or stomach pain, shortness of breath, and loss of consciousness are often similar to more common conditions.
The final autopsy is still pending. And GOP Sen. John Cornyn told reporters he wanted Graham’s toxicology report released “to rule out any foul play” and end false theories spreading online.
“You know, in the initial diagnosis, I saw the diagnosis of a dissected aorta — which is very scary, I mean, obviously it could have caused his death — but given where he was and what he stood for, I think we need to resolve all those questions based on what the toxicology reports show,” Cornyn said.
Tuberville said Graham was working in the office of the scheduler who called 911 on Saturday and was watching the World Cup at a restaurant with one of his employees when Graham called.
“Lindsey essentially worked herself to death,” Tuberville said. “Most of us have families. He didn’t have a family, and if we had a few days off he’d go to the airport. He’d go somewhere to try to find something for our country.”
CNN’s Morgan Rimmer and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
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