Graham Joked He Was Too Busy to Die: ‘I Can’t Die Now’
Hours before he died, Sen. Lindsey Graham noted he was too busy to die when he mentioned he was not feeling well. “I can’t die now,” he said.
The late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wasn't feeling well Saturday, but said he had too much on his plate to die.
Graham, who died Saturday night, reportedly said, “I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Axios reported.
Those words were in response to someone suggesting he seek medical help when he mentioned he was not feeling well.
The South Carolina Republican told a confidant he would wait until after his appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning.
Graham had spent the last few weeks of his life laying the groundwork for a renewed diplomatic push aimed at brokering normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to Axios.
He had just returned from Ukraine on Friday. On Saturday, he briefed President Donald Trump on his trip.
During his call with the president, Trump told Graham he was preparing new military strikes against Iran following another attack on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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He died several hours later from an “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”
Graham viewed Saudi-Israel normalization as the a key role in a broader postwar Middle East settlement following the conflict with Iran. He believed weakening Iranian influence had created a rare opening for Trump to broker a historic agreement and had discussed the effort with the president.
Graham had also held discussions with Israeli and Saudi officials and was planning a trip to both countries in the coming weeks to gauge support for restarting negotiations, people the outlet.