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President Donald Trump on Tuesday stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is “wasting their time” if it is investigating the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, dismissing speculation surrounding the Senator’s sudden passing.
“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,” Trump said when asked in the Oval Office whether he was aware of the bureau looking into Graham’s death and if he had gotten any updates about a reported FBI search of the late lawmaker’s Washington, D.C., home.
In response to another question, Trump told reporters he didn’t know why the FBI had apparently searched Graham’s home on Monday, less than 48 hours after the Senator’s death.
Graham, 71, died on Saturday due to a heart condition known as an aortic dissection, a tear in the wall of the body’s largest artery, as a result of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings from the Washington, D.C., medical examiner’s office.
The office said the cause and manner of Graham’s death would be formally recorded after toxicological and microscopic testing is completed.
Trump, who said he had been briefed by White House physicians about Graham’s death, compared Graham to his father, saying that the Senator had a “very similar problem.” Graham’s father died of a heart attack at the age of 69.
“I wish he took better care of himself,” the President added of the late Senator. “I say you can solve that problem.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on Sunday following Graham’s death that the agency was “assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available.” He did not provide further information about the nature of that assistance.
“Senator Lindsey Graham was a devoted public servant, a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot who dedicated his life to the people of South Carolina and the United States,” Patel wrote on X. “Our prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who knew him during this devastating time.”
The following day, video footage shared by NBC News showed FBI personnel visiting Graham’s home in D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Two law enforcement sources familiar with the matter told the outlet that federal agents were continuing to look into the Senator’s death out of an abundance of caution, but no evidence has come up since Saturday that indicated foul play was involved.
Trump also addressed speculation about Graham’s death during an appearance on Newsmax Monday night. “To answer the conspiracy theory, I’d love to say yes. But I think he had some problems,” the President said. He similarly referenced Graham’s father’s death in that instance, saying, “And his father died just about at the same age.”
Graham, once a critic of Trump and among his opponents in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, became one of his staunchest allies in Congress. The President remembered him in the wake of his passing as a “true American patriot” and “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday appointed Darline Graham Nordone, Graham’s sister, to finish out her brother’s term. She was sworn into the role on Tuesday afternoon.
Nordone, who shared a close bond with Graham, called the appointment an “honor.”
“It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States,” she said at a press conference.
A special primary election will be held next month to select Graham’s replacement on the ballot in the November midterms, in which he was seeking a fifth term.
English (US) · 