NEW YORK - The abrupt death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key supporter of President Donald Trump and a familiar face in Washington, has sparked fresh attention on the advanced ages of many national legislators.

Graham, who reached 71 just two days prior to his passing Saturday evening, was considerably younger than numerous Senate peers and seemed to enjoy solid health. He experienced an aortic tear, per an initial assessment by the medical examiner.

This marked the second instance in under a month when emergency responders were called to a senator's residence. In early June, Mitch McConnell, the prior Republican Senate leader, required hospital care for reasons not immediately shared.

Following weeks of mounting concern over his condition, he disclosed Sunday that a fall had caused mild pneumonia. He shared an image featuring that day's newspaper.

Graham's death alongside McConnell's hospital stay occur during continued discussion of the nation's older leaders, two years after a troubled presidential debate that heightened worries among Democrats regarding then-President Joe Biden's abilities and claims of concealment.

Certain officials persist in withholding specifics on health issues, seeking privacy even in public roles and prompting unfounded rumors.

"I think we need some transparency," Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Monday. "I wish Sen. McConnell and his team would have done that earlier, I think it would have resolved a lot of questions."

McConnell, at 84 and only the third-oldest in the Senate, entered the hospital June 14 with minimal information provided. Staff noted he was "receiving excellent care" yet supplied no further updates on his status.

The lack of details triggered speculation about his outlook, including claims by Laura Loomer, a Trump associate and conspiracy promoter, on social platforms that a "high level source close to the White House" indicated he was "officially brain dead."

Yet McConnell, set to depart Congress at January's end after the longest tenure as Senate leader, stated he is recovering. He noted a fall prompted the stay and that he was "briefly unconscious" while receiving treatment for mild pneumonia.

"You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older," he said. "Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct - I can't help it."

This failed to end the rumors. Online, many questioned the authenticity of a photo from his office showing the front page of the "Sports" section from The Washington Post.

Conspiracy theories about McConnell's health reflect "a symptom of our times," said Sen. Rand Paul, also from Kentucky. Paul urged people to "give him a break."

"People think they have a right to know everyone's medical problems," he said, "but I don't know, where does it begin and where does it end?"

The oldest individual elected president has consistently presented an optimistic view of his health.

"Everything checked out PERFECTLY," he declared after his most recent physical in May, noting he underwent another cognitive exam for early dementia signs and has "aced them all."

His earlier health summaries have faced criticism for scant information and figures that some medical experts found questionable.

Upon his initial presidential bid in 2016, Trump opted not to release full health files, diverging from established custom. He provided instead a brief letter from his physician asserting he would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as White House physician in Trump's first term, later drew notice for praising the president's "incredibly good genes."

During his COVID-19 infection amid the 2020 reelection effort, Trump's medical team and advisors withheld critical treatment information and minimized the illness's seriousness.

Following an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally, Trump aides withheld details for days, avoiding discussion of injury extent or sharing records while stating he was "fine."

Such secrecy reaches younger officials too. New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. vanished for four months without word before revealing late last month he had sought treatment for depression.

He explained in a short floor address upon return that he stayed quiet due to being a "private person by nature."

He secured an uncontested primary while absent, despite skipping over 100 House votes, and seeks reelection.

This differed from Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, who announced his hospitalization for clinical depression the day after admission to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He also endured a stroke during his campaign.

Biden's unsteady walk, weakened look and repeated speech lapses ultimately ended his 2024 reelection bid. After a debate where he often lost focus, he stepped aside, leading to an unusual change atop the Democratic ticket that helped enable Trump's return.

Others have declined to step down. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, passed away in office in 2023 at age 90 after prolonged health decline, including shingles. Though she resumed Senate duties, she often seemed weak and disoriented. It emerged later that her office had not promptly reported her encephalitis during recovery.

Longtime Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas spent her final months in over two decades of service dealing with "unforeseen health challenges" that complicated travel to Washington.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, 88, the longtime House delegate for the District of Columbia, stated earlier this year she would not seek reelection amid competency concerns.

___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.