Top Republican breaks his silence on Lindsey Graham death conspiracies and details his grueling routine

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 01:09, 13 July 2026 | Updated: 01:18, 13 July 2026 A top Republican and longtime ally of Senator Lindsey Graham reflected on his life, death, and legacy in an exclusive Sunday interview. Texan Michael McCaul, who is not seeking reelection this November, formerly served as the chair of both the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) among other agencies. McCaul spoke to the Daily Mail on Sunday via a phone call from Poland after a visit to Ukraine, revealing that although he is sure foreign intelligence services keep tabs on US lawmakers while they are abroad, he does not think they would be 'stupid' enough to kill Graham. 'I can't imagine the Russians would be that stupid to kill somebody ...like they did Navalny,' McCaul noted when asked why the FBI would be part of the investigation into Graham's demise. He was referring to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.  'The repercussions and the retaliation would be so strong to do something like that to someone who's such a giant in the Senate, and such a leader in the Senate and the Congress and for the country. You know, I think that would be extremely foolish on their part,' McCaul added.   Graham's preliminary cause of death was divulged following an investigation by the DC Medical Examiner and released shortly after McCaul spoke with the Daily Mail. Per a statement issued by Graham's office just before 5:00pm EST on Sunday, 'Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,' was the cause of his 'sudden' passing. '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,' Graham's spokesperson added in the statement. A handout photo made available by Ukraine's Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and former Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul (L) during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, July 10th 2026. This handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on July 10, 2026 shows President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) welcoming US Senator Lindsey Graham prior their talks in Kyiv McCaul also shed light on Graham's final days as he traveled back to DC after meetings at NATO and in Ukraine with President Zelenskyy. 'He traveled a lot, and it can be exhausting. He would carry a sleeping bag, and on those military planes, it's hard to sleep,' McCaul revealed.  'It's not like these recliners, and he would sleep on the floor on a sleeping bag, you know, curled up in a sleeping bag and with a pillow. I mean, it was not a glamorous lifestyle, and a very tough on the body.' Before the preliminary cause of death was revealed, McCaul also noted that he didn't 'know if Lindsay had any pre-existing heart conditions,' before adding that he hoped 'it was natural causes.' Hours earlier on Sunday, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were spotted at Graham's residence in Washington, DC, following an announcement from Director Kash Patel that his agency was providing all necessary resources for the probe. The FBI stepped in to 'assist' local authorities in the wake of Lindsey Graham's unexpected death, which added to mounting skepticism earlier on Sunday surrounding the US Senator's sudden passing at 71. The office of Graham, who had represented South Carolina since 2002, announced in the early hours of Sunday that the senator had 'passed away from a brief and sudden illness.' A 911 call for 'cardiac arrest' was placed from Graham's residence around 8.30pm, but no official cause of death has been confirmed, according to multiple reports. FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X on Sunday morning that the agency was 'assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available.' Graham was a vocal supporter of US involvement in conflicts abroad, including both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran clashes. McCaul told The Daily Mail that he wants Graham's lasting legacy to be the passage of sanctions on Russia.  Graham's Russia sanctions bill was already in the works in the Senate, and McCaul shared that they 'were going to introduce it this week and have a press conference together.' Still, McCaul  revealed that 'the one thing, one positive of his passing, and I know Lindsey would appreciate this, is that through his death, he possibly achieved more than if he was alive.' 'I think that will give us so much momentum in the Congress to get this thing done. And I know one of his last acts, in addition to meeting with Zelensky, was meeting with the president to get his buy-in on this legislation,' McCaul added, insisting that he sees this bill being passed despite the current gridlock and the quickly shrinking number of days remaining on the congressional legislative calendar, due to both the upcoming August recess and the November midterm elections.