US President Donald Trump said he does not believe conspiracy theories about Russia's possible involvement in the death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina). Newsmax TV channel asked him the corresponding question on Monday, July 13, when it also became known that Trump would support the new anti-Russian sanctions that Graham promoted.
Information that the head of the White House plans to support the bill on sanctions against Moscow, introduced in Congress last year, was reported by Graham himself shortly before his death. On Monday, White House sources confirmed Trump's intentions to The Hill and CNN.
The bill of the late senator, who was previously included in the list of terrorists and extremists in the Russian Federation, provided for the introduction of duties for countries purchasing Russian oil and gas in the amount of 500%. There was also talk about secondary measures against buyers of Russian uranium. Trump initially did not support the bill, believing that it would interfere with negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, and he could introduce the necessary duties himself.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Sheikhin (New Hampshire), who took part in agreeing on the final text with the White House, called the decision of the Trump administration a “tribute to the memory” of the deceased senator.
“There is no more fitting way to honor Lindsay, his legacy and the cause he fought for than to pass this legislation and fulfill his long-held dream of an independent and secure Ukraine,” Sheikhin said.
The version of the document approved by the White House has not yet been published. The bill is also supported by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) and Republican Roger Wicker (Mississippi). Before being put to a vote by the Senate, it must be considered by relevant committees.
As RTVI reported, Senator Graham died as a result of aortic dissection associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Trump himself paid tribute to Graham, calling him in a Truth Social post “one of the greatest men and senators” he has ever known and a “true American patriot.”
The White House later ordered all American flags throughout the United States to be temporarily flown at half-mast “in honor of the extraordinary life and achievements” of the Republican lawmaker.
Trump: Graham died due to 'problems', not poisoning
Trump was asked to comment on the possible criminal component in the death of Graham in an interview with the Newsmax channel. Host Greg Kelly recalled that the senator, against the backdrop of the Ukrainian conflict, called for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Russia is allegedly “known for the habit of persecuting undesirables.”
Trump responded by first talking about how he spoke with Graham on the phone shortly before his death, and he noted that he was tired after his trip to Kyiv. The President then chuckled ironically at Kelly's suggestion.
“As for the conspiracy theory [по поводу убийства сенатора]I would be happy to say yes, but I think he has [Линдси Грэма] had problems and his father died at about the same age. [Грэма] there were problems that were deeply hidden and not easy to detect,” Trump emphasized.
Lindsey Graham was a proponent of a hard foreign policy towards Russia and Iran. He represented South Carolina in the upper house of Congress for more than 20 years and intended to run again in the midterm elections in November. RTVI told more about his past and the reaction of world leaders to the news of his death.
Following Graham's death over the weekend, South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday, July 13, appointed Graham's sister, Darlene Graham-Nordon, to serve out the remainder of her term until January, at Trump's recommendation. She will become the first woman to represent the state in the Senate, reports the Associated Press (AP).
“It's such an honor, Lindsey has always been there for me. And now I will be next to him. Lindsay, I miss you more than I can put into words, but I'll get through this. I know what to do,” Nordon said.
Both of Graham's parents died when he was in his early 20s, after which he became the legal guardian of his then 13-year-old younger sister Darlene. She later married, worked as an optometrist and at various government agencies, including the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and the Department of Employment and Workforce. She graduated from the College of Charleston and received a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling.
A GOP special primary will be held in August to select a new Republican candidate to fill Graham's seat. Voting will take place on August 11, and a second round will take place on August 25, if necessary, the Associated Press clarifies.
Among the contenders for the senator's seat, the news agency names Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evett, members of the House of Representatives Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, Russell Fry, as well as a businessman whom Graham previously beat in the primaries, Mark Lynch and former state governor Mark Sanford.
“No Democrat has won South Carolina's Senate seat in decades, and Republicans have routinely won by double-digit margins in recent history,” the AP adds.
