Trump dismisses conspiracy theories about Graham death

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the FBI would be “wasting their time” if agents are investigating conspiracy theories about the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, seeking to tamp down online speculation after the South Carolina Republican died suddenly over the weekend at age 71.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he did not know why the FBI was involved beyond assisting local authorities and pointed to preliminary medical findings that Graham died from an aortic dissection, a tear in the wall of the aorta. Washington’s chief medical examiner said a preliminary examination found “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” or a rupture of the aorta due to hardened arteries. Authorities are still awaiting toxicology and other test results, NBC News reported.

“Well, I don’t know why, because I think, you know, he had a problem,” Trump said when asked why the FBI was involved. “His father had a very similar problem, as you know.” Graham’s father died of a heart attack at 69.

Trump added: “I don’t see a lot of evil there. I know there’s all sorts of conspiracy theories going along, and I think the FBI is wasting their time if they’re doing that.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said Sunday that the bureau was “assisting local authorities.” NBC News reported that nearly 20 FBI and other federal agents were gathered Monday outside Graham’s rowhouse on Capitol Hill. Multiple FBI agents entered the home and were seen taking photographs but did not appear to remove items. Two law enforcement sources familiar with the scene told NBC News that federal agents were continuing to investigate Graham’s death out of an abundance of caution, but that no new evidence had emerged since Saturday night indicating foul play.

Graham, one of Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill, had just returned from a trip to Ukraine. His hardline stances against Russia and Iran helped fuel online speculation that a foreign actor may have been involved in his death. NBC News reported that Graham had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv the day before he died and had been pushing for tougher sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow.

Asked Monday night on Newsmax whether Russia could have poisoned Graham, Trump said, “Just to answer the conspiracy theory, I’d love to say yes, but I think he — he had some problems.” He added: “His father died just about at the same age. … I’m a believer in the racehorse theory, you know, if you have problems, you have problems. And he had some problems that were a little bit deep-seated and not easy to find.”

Trump said Tuesday that White House doctors briefed him on what likely happened to Graham and that he had reviewed the medical reports. He described the condition as difficult to detect and said Graham had complained of back pain. “They say it’s almost undetectable,” Trump said. “You can detect it if you have a very bad back. That’s a sign. It’s a bad sign.”

Multiple sources who spoke with Graham shortly before his death told CBS News that he had complained of chest pains.

On Monday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s only sibling, Darline Graham, to serve the remainder of her late brother’s term, which ends in January. NBC News reported she was set to take the oath of office Tuesday afternoon.