The sudden death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has triggered a wave of speculation around the world, with a senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting the longtime lawmaker may have been poisoned and some Iranian media amplifying similar claims. The allegations surfaced after Graham’s outspoken support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
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However, US officials have so far said preliminary medical findings point to a natural cardiovascular cause, and investigators have announced no evidence of foul play. So, what exactly happened to Lindsey Graham, and why have Russia, Iran and conspiracy theories become part of the conversation?
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Lindsey Graham cause of death According to preliminary findings from the District of Columbia medical examiner, Lindsey Graham died from an aortic rupture caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, commonly known as hardening of the arteries, reports BBC.
The official death certificate has not yet been finalized because toxicology and microscopic examinations are still underway. However, authorities have not indicated that the senator’s death was suspicious.
His office initially announced that Graham had died following a “brief and sudden illness.”
What happened in Lindsey Graham’s final hours? Just hours before his death, Graham had been carrying on with a busy schedule. The South Carolina senator had recently returned from an official visit to Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed additional sanctions against Russia.
Back in Washington, Graham also spoke with President Donald Trump before his death. Later that evening, emergency responders were called to Graham’s Washington residence after receiving reports of a cardiac emergency.
According to reports, police helped emergency crews enter the home after there was no response. CPR was performed, but Graham could not be revived. The FBI later assisted local authorities, a standard procedure when a senior federal official dies unexpectedly.
Trump says Graham sounded “fine” President Donald Trump said he had spoken to Graham only hours before his death and noticed nothing unusual. According to Trump, the senator sounded “fine,” adding that “other than being tired, he was fine.”
Graham had even been scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press the following morning, making his sudden death even more shocking.
Why are poisoning theories spreading? Soon after Graham’s death became public, conspiracy theories spread rapidly across social media.
The speculation intensified after Sergei Markov, a former Kr
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