President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against speculation surrounding the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), saying he believes the longtime senator died from a serious medical condition rather than foul play.
Graham, 71, died Saturday from an aortic dissection, a condition that occurs when the inner lining of the aorta—the body’s largest artery—tears. According to the article, the tear allows blood to leak into other layers of the artery and reduces blood flow to vital organs.
Trump addressed the senator’s passing during an appearance on Newsmax’s “Greg Kelly Reports,” where host Greg Kelly asked whether there could be more to the story behind Graham’s death.
Kelly pointed to Graham’s recent return from Ukraine and referenced Russia’s history of targeting opponents.
“Look, the Russians, they have a habit of poisoning people they don’t like,” Kelly said. “And Lindsey Graham once called for Putin to be taken out. Do you have any suspicions or worries? Do you think we know the whole story about his death?”
Trump rejected the suggestion, saying he believed doctors had adequately explained what happened.
“Well, I think we do,” Trump said. “We’ve had great doctors. And they talked about, you know, a certain part of his body literally blew up.”
The president went on to say he believed Graham’s father had suffered from a similar condition.
“And that’s a condition I believe his father had also. His father died very, very young from heart complications. And that’s what Lindsey had,” Trump said.
Trump described the condition as one that is difficult to detect and difficult to treat, even when it is identified.
“And it’s something that’s, number one, it’s very tough to see. And even if you see it, it’s hard to fix, very hard to fix,” he said.
The president also said Graham had previously dealt with artery-related health issues and recalled encouraging him to seek treatment.
“You know, he had a problem with arteries and I thought it was like a 70% blockage,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Lindsey, you’re gonna have to go and take care of that.’ But this was not that problem. This was a different problem that wasn’t really related.”
Trump also revealed that he had spoken with Graham only hours before the senator’s death.
“But he just got back, and I said, ‘How are you doing?’” Trump recalled. “And he said, ‘Well, I’m doing good, but I’m tired.’”
According to Trump, Graham died only a short time after that conversation.
“And within, you know, a short period of time after that call, he was gone,” the president said. “Amazing actually.”
While acknowledging the speculation that has circulated, Trump said he did not believe there was evidence to support conspiracy theories surrounding Graham’s death.
“But he was, I don’t think, you know, just to answer the conspiracy theory, I don’t know. I’d love to say yes, but I think he had some problems,” Trump said.
Following Graham’s death, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) appointed the senator’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone (R), to serve out the remainder of his term, which expires in January.
An Aug. 11 special election will determine which Republican candidate advances to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a physician.
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