The US political world remains in shock over the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

Hours after his office announced that the 71-year-old South Carolina Republican had died “following a brief and sudden illness,” US networks reported the medical examiner’s initial assessment, which pointed to a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

According to his spokesperson, the medical examiner determined that Graham suffered an aortic dissection linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. “The death certificate will remain pending until all toxicological and microscopic examinations are completed. It will then be updated to state the cause of death,” the statement added.

The last phone call with Trump

According to Axios, Graham spoke on the phone with Trump on Saturday night and briefed him on his recent trip to Ukraine, as well as the bill on sanctions against Russia that he had hoped to bring to a Senate vote soon.

Trump told Graham he was preparing to launch fresh strikes against Iran, following another attack on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the key Gulf shipping route.

A person who spoke with Graham shortly afterwards said the senator complained that he was not feeling well. When advised to seek immediate medical attention, Graham replied that he would do so on Sunday morning, after his scheduled appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

He then joked: “I can’t die now. I still have to pass the sanctions against Russia, resolve the Iran issue, and promote the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.” He died just a few hours later.