President Donald Trump pushed back against the FBI's investigation into Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden death on Tuesday, calling the bureau's involvement a distraction from confirmed medical findings. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he had reviewed all medical reports and received a briefing from his White House doctors about what happened to his longtime ally.
Graham, the 71-year-old South Carolina Republican, died Saturday night. Washington's chief medical examiner attributed the death to aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a rupture of his aorta due to hardened arteries. Toxicology and other test results remain pending.
The FBI presence at Graham's Capitol Hill rowhouse on Monday sparked questions. Nearly 20 federal agents were observed outside the property, with multiple agents entering the home to take photographs. FBI Director Kash Patel stated his agency is "assisting local authorities" in the matter. Law enforcement sources said federal investigators are proceeding out of an abundance of caution but have found no evidence of foul play.
Trump sought to explain the medical mechanism behind Graham's death. He noted that Graham's father had died of heart complications at a relatively young age and that aortic dissection can be difficult to detect. Back pain, Trump said, is often a primary warning sign.
"If anybody has a bad back, that's one of the primary signs," Trump told reporters. "And he would tell me he had a bad back, but little did anyone realize it was for that. So, when that bursts, which it did, it bursts."
Trump was one of the last people to speak with Graham, in a phone call the night the senator died. The two had maintained a close alliance during Trump's presidency and into his current term.
Conspiracy theories about Graham's death have circulated online, particularly given his recent advocacy for stronger sanctions against Russia and his trip to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just hours before he fell ill. On Monday night, Trump was asked on Newsmax whether Russia could have poisoned the senator.
"Just to answer the conspiracy theory, I'd love to say yes, but I think he had some problems," Trump said. "His father died just about at the same age. I'm a believer in the racehorse theory. If you have problems, you have problems."
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, Darline Graham, to fill his remaining term, which concludes in January. She was scheduled to take the oath of office on Tuesday afternoon.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The FBI's caution here makes procedural sense, but Trump's frustration with conspiracy chasing over confirmed medical evidence isn't unreasonable."
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