Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) jokingly shrugged off advice that he seek immediate medical attention in the moments before his death Saturday night, according to a new Axios report.
Graham’s office announced early Sunday the South Carolina Republican had died of a “brief and sudden illness,” and further reporting revealed that he may have suffered from cardiac arrest, though an official cause of death has yet to be released.
In an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, President Donald Trump later said he'd spoken with Graham Saturday night by phone.
Trump said the South Carolina Republican “sounded a little tired” during their Saturday night phone call, while somehow at the same time, also “sounded great.”
The president said he and Graham spoke at length about his controversial voter ID bill, known as the SAVE Act, and noted Graham’s death served a “big blow” to the legislation.
Trump also theorized that he was the last person to speak with the senator before he passed, but Axios’ Barak Ravid's reporting contests this.
Axios reported that after “Trump told Graham he was preparing to launch fresh strikes against Iran after another attack on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz," Graham spoke with someone else.
“A person who spoke with Graham shortly afterward said the senator complained that he was feeling unwell," the report states. "When the person urged him to seek medical attention immediately, Graham said he would do so Sunday morning after his scheduled appearance on NBC's ‘Meet the Press.’”
Axios reported, citing an anonymous source, that Graham said he still had work to do, like "the Russia sanctions," getting "Iran sorted out," and "do Israeli-Saudi normalization."
Graham also joked, "I can't die now."