9 rumors about Lindsey Graham we've fact-checked

The senator died July 11, 2026, after he reportedly suffered a tear in his aorta. Published July 25, 2026 On July 11, 2026, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died at 71, reportedly due to a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary medical examiner's finding his office shared. We've investigated multiple claims related to the late senator — who served in Congress for more than three decades — including an image that ostensibly showed him posing with a shirtless UFC fighter in June 2026. An earlier rumor, from October 2023, claimed a video captured Graham saying "I like to cross dress," and another circulated quote from 2020 claimed he said, "President Trump probably knows more about medicine and specifically viruses than any of the so-called scientists at the NIH and CDC." Continue reading for a compilation of some of the most popular claims about Graham we've reported on: Sources Deng, Rae. "Lindsey Graham Said, 'We're Killing All the Right People' Referring to Republican Party." Snopes, Snopes.com, 5 Nov. 2025, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lindsey-graham-killing-right-people-quote/. Accessed 13 July 2026.Liles, Jordan. "Yes, Sen. Lindsey Graham Has Died." Snopes, Snopes.com, 12 July 2026, https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/07/12/lindsey-graham-dead/. Accessed 13 July 2026.NPR. "S.C. Senator Graham Rises as Moderate Republican." NPR, 27 May 2005, https://www.npr.org/2005/05/27/4669160/-s-c-senator-graham-rises-as-moderate-republican. Accessed 13 July 2026."Lindsey Graham Dies After Unexpected Illness, His Office Says." AP News, 12 July 2026, https://apnews.com/article/lindsey-graham-dies-south-carolina-bfa556e170f2df22ce9ffc7165da3dfa. Accessed 13 July 2026.'Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died after Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says'. AP News, 12 July 2026, https://apnews.com/article/lindsey-graham-dies-south-carolina-bfa556e170f2df22ce9ffc7165da3dfa. By Taija PerryCook Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman. Article Tags