It just took hours after the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham was announced to spread conspiracy theories. Activists, right-wing activists, and political commentators spent the weekend baselessly claiming that Russia, Israel, or Iran killed the 71-year-old.
Graham died Saturday night at his Capitol Hill residence a few hours after returning from Ukraine, where he announced a deal to impose sanctions on those who buy Russian oil. A preliminary report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Washington, DC, said Graham may have suffered from an aortic aneurysm, related to the hardening of his arteries.
“The death certificate is pending until all toxicological and microscopic examinations are completed and at that time the death certificate will be updated to indicate the cause of death and properly classify the manner of death,” the statement said.
CNN, citing multiple law enforcement officials, reported that no foul play is suspected in Graham’s death.
But on Sunday morning, as many of Graham’s colleagues paid tribute to the senator, conspiracy theorists were saying his death was the result of an assassination attempt orchestrated by one of the governments the senator had spent decades fighting.
Serial conspiracy theorist and Trump confidante Laura Loomer was one of the first to suggest that there was more to Graham’s death than natural causes. He linked the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps soldiers, pointing out that during the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in Tehran last week, those present held up placards calling for the death of dozens of Americans, including himself, President Donald Trump, and Graham.
“Was he poisoned by a foreign enemy or abroad or on his way back to the US?” Loomer wrote on X in a post that has been viewed 1.8 million times, without providing evidence. “There should be an investigation into his death. Especially after Iran called for his death less than a week ago.”
Loomer said his view was confirmed when Explosive Media, one of the pro-Iranian groups that has been trolling the US with AI-generated Lego videos, shared a video that appeared to suggest Iran was responsible for Graham’s death. The video, which has been removed from X but remains active on platforms such as Instagram, included a scene where the character placed a tag next to the name Lindsey, with the name Laura written underneath it.
Loomer also pointed to a statement by FBI director Kash Patel, who wrote in X on Sunday that his organization is “assisting local authorities and making all necessary resources available.” This in itself, for many conspiracy theorists, was proof of a cover-up.
In response to Patel’s post, Tony Seruga, who claims to be a former CIA contractor, said the FBI “doesn’t succeed on environmental grounds.” In a widely shared post, he wrote that the description of “aortic dissection” given by the medical examiner was “a complete cover diagnosis,” as it “doesn’t automatically show up in certain chemical attacks.” He did not provide evidence to support his claim.
Others blamed Russia for the attack, given Graham’s support for Ukraine and his criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin. “Putin poisoned and killed many of his opponents, and Graham was in Kyiv where FSB agents were active,” political analyst Marc Thiessen wrote in X. “There should be a thorough autopsy and toxic screen to rule out foul play.”
Bill Browder, a British financier who has been under attack by Russia for years, also pushed the idea that Russia could be the cause of Graham’s death. “All tests should be done quickly to prevent foul play,” Browder wrote in X. “I’ve seen suspicious deaths related to Russia so I know this is the last step.” More than 1.5 million people viewed Browder’s post.
