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July 14, 2026 / 1:02 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — President Trump said the FBI is "wasting their time" if they're looking into "conspiracy theories" about Sen. Lindsey Graham's death, tamping down speculation that anything other than Graham's heart issues led to his death at age 71 over the weekend. In the Oval Office Tuesday, a reporter asked the president if he was aware of why the FBI was involved. FBI Director Kash Patel said Sunday that the FBI was "assisting local authorities." "Well, I don't know why, because I think, you know, he had a problem," the president said of Graham. "His father had a very similar problem, as you know." Graham's father died of a heart attack at 69. The medical examiner's preliminary findings indicated Graham's death was caused by an aortic dissection, a tear in the wall of the aorta. "I wish he took better care of himself," the president said, adding that Graham's condition was "very hard to detect." Mr. Trump, who just turned 80, said he had doctors from the White House explain to him what likely happened to Graham. Multiple sources who spoke with Graham shortly before his death told CBS News that he had complained of chest pains.
