Fact Check: Did Trump say he's glad that Lindsey Graham is dead?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump said that he’s glad Graham is dead. The claim has sparked criticism, mockery, and speculation among online users, with many calling for a fact-check into the viral claim.
Claim: Donald Trump said that he’s glad Lindsey Graham is dead
The rumor spread with a screenshot, claiming to show a post by the president on his official Truth Social account. The alleged post reads, “Lindsey Graham just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The screenshot has gained more than a hundred thousand views as of this writing, garnering conflicting reactions, with many appearing to believe it to be true, while others expressed disbelief and speculation, given that Graham was one of Trump’s closest allies, prompting a fact check.
Fact Check: False, the screenshot is fabricated
The screenshot, however, is fake, as the president made no such post following the death of the former senator.
A search on his Truth Social handle or commentary accounts that archive his posts showed no results that matched the remark.
However, the search revealed that the fake post is based on Trump’s original post on the platform celebrating the death of former FBI Director Robert Mueller. The post read, “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The actual post by Trump following Graham’s death reads, “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”
Lindsey Graham's cause of death revealed
Graham's cause of death has been revealed a day after the longtime South Carolina lawmaker died at the age of 71.
According to preliminary findings from the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Graham died from an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, while his office had initially announced that he died following a "brief and sudden illness."
“The death certificate will be pending until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized, and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death," the medical examiner's office said.
