President Donald Trump has dismissed the “conspiracy theories” surrounding the death of longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham, saying the South Carolina Republican’s sudden passing was consistent with a serious medical condition rather than foul play. His comments came as questions continued to grow over the pending toxicology report and the FBI’s involvement in the investigation into Graham’s death, despite preliminary findings pointing to an aortic dissection.
Donald Trump rejects poisoning speculation, Russian involvement
Trump addressed the matter during an interview with Newsmax after host Greg Kelly asked whether Russia could have poisoned Graham. “The Russians have a habit of poisoning people they don’t like, and Graham once called for [Vladimir] Putin to be taken out. Do you have any suspicions or worries? Do you think we know the whole story about his death?” Kelly asked.
“To answer the conspiracy theory, I would love to say yes, but I think he had some problems,” Trump replied, adding that Graham had “deep-seated” health issues that were “not easy to find.”
Greg Kelly asks President Trump whether he thinks Russia might have played a role in the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. pic.twitter.com/IxLNsO2QoL
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) July 14, 2026
The president also referenced Graham’s family history, noting his father died at a similar age and that doctors described a catastrophic internal failure, saying part of the senator’s body “literally blew up.”
Asked at the White House on Tuesday, July 14, about the FBI’s involvement, Trump said he believed the bureau was pursuing the wrong line of inquiry. “There were all sorts of conspiracy theories going along,” he said, adding, “I think the FBI is wasting their time if they’re doing that.”
Trump on Lindsey Graham: "When that bursts — which it did, it burst — there's not much — so 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" pic.twitter.com/yozlcBCJar
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 14, 2026
The origin of conspiracy theories surrounding Lindsey Graham’s death
The questions surrounding Graham’s death stem partly from his final overseas trip. Hours before his death, the South Carolina senator returned from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the visit, Graham announced an agreement with the Trump administration to advance new sanctions targeting Russia, continuing his long-standing support for a tougher U.S. stance against Moscow. Graham’s hawkish position regarding Russia, a country with a documented history of alleged state-sponsored poisonings, led people to believe he was in the Kremlin’s crosshairs. However, no evidence has emerged linking Graham’s death to foul play.
Preliminary medical findings point to aortic dissection
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia said preliminary findings indicate Graham died from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Doctors describe an aortic dissection as a tear in the wall of the body’s main artery that can cause sudden, severe chest pain and prove fatal within minutes or hours if left untreated. Although rare, affecting an estimated five to 30 people per million each year, it carries a high mortality rate.
The medical examiner’s office said Graham’s death certificate will remain pending until toxicological and microscopic testing is complete. “The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized, and at that point, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death,” medical examiner Dr. Francisco Diaz said, according to The Hill.
Calls for transparency continue as Russia dismisses speculation
Despite the preliminary medical findings, several prominent Republicans have called for the toxicology report to be released. Texas Sen. John Cornyn said the results will help “rule out any foul play.”
“I saw the initial diagnosis of a dissected aorta — which is terrible. I mean, obviously, that could cause his death. But given where he was and the sorts of things he was advocating for, I think we just ought to resolve all those questions by seeing what the toxicology reports show,” Cornyn said.
Investor Bill Browder echoed the concern, writing on X, “Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but Lindsey Graham was the leading driver of the devastating sanctions bill against Russia.”
“Russians are expert at administration of poisons that look like heart attacks. All tests should be done immediately to rule out foul play. I’ve seen enough Russian-related suspicious deaths to know this is the only course of action,” he continued.
I agree with this. Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but Lindsay Graham was the leading driver of the devastating sanctions bill against Russia. Yesterday, he announced that president Trump agreed to it. He had just returned from Ukraine where it’s not unknown for Russian agents… https://t.co/hnMaynu5MC
— Sir William Browder KCMG (@Billbrowder) July 12, 2026
Sen. Rick Scott also urged a thorough review, saying, “We want to make sure that we always make sure there’s no foul play.”
Russian officials and pro-Kremlin media, meanwhile, have rejected suggestions Moscow was involved, describing the allegations as politically motivated and instead pointing to Graham’s health history.
Svetlana Zhurova, the first deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, dismissed claims linking Russia to Graham’s death in comments to Lenta.ru, calling them a “PR stunt” intended to generate publicity instead of reflecting factual evidence.
