Lindsey Graham Breaks Silence on Donald Trump’s Second Impeachment

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Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, broke his silence on Sunday about the second impeachment against Donald Trump.

On Thursday, a grand jury indicted the former president on 37 counts ranging from willful retention of classified documents to obstruction charges in connection with a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into his mishandling of classified documents after leaving office in January 2021. The investigation was led by special counsel Jack Smith appointed by the DOJ to oversee the case.

Federal prosecutors accuse the former president of mishandling sensitive presidential records and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. However, Trump has maintained his innocence, accusing prosecutors of investigating him for political reasons. Thursday’s indictment makes Trump the first former president to face federal criminal charges in United States history.

Graham, a staunch Trump supporter who has endorsed his 2024 presidential bid, did not immediately comment on the accusation. However, she broke her silence on ABC News’ This Week in a testy interview with host George Stephanopoulos.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, spoke to reporters at the US Capitol on June 1 in Washington, DC Graham on Sunday broke his silence on former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Stephanopoulos asked the senator if he believed Trump had “done nothing wrong.” In response, Graham attempted to compare Trump’s treatment to that of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who faced scrutiny for conducting government business on a private server, raising security concerns ahead of the 2016 presidential election. . He argued that the actions of Trump and Clinton were “similar,” but only Trump faced prosecution.

The interview became controversial after Stephanopoulos tried to interrupt Graham to ask again about Trump’s behavior.

“No. Let me finish. I’m trying to answer the question from a Republican perspective. That might not be acceptable on this show. Yes, I don’t like what President Trump has done in some respects. I don’t like President Biden has classified information in the garage. I don’t like Mike Pence carelessly taking classified information. I don’t like any of that,” Graham said, continuing to explain that he believes Clinton is being treated by justice is different. system than Trump.

Graham said he “doesn’t justify” Trump’s alleged actions, but he won’t change his support for the former president in light of the indictment. He added that Trump is being overcharged by the DOJ, and said it is “ridiculous” to believe the former president committed espionage and that conservatives view the indictment as politically motivated.

“Most Republicans believe today’s law is a political tool,” he said.

As a result, Graham believes Trump is “more politically powerful now than ever” in the indictment, he said.

Trump faces 37 charges, including 31 counts of willful retention of classified documents and one count each of conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealment of a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations.

Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign and Graham via email for comment.

Meanwhile, Manhattan prosecutors filed more than 30 felony charges against Trump earlier this year in connection with hush payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Daniels said that she had an affair with the former president a decade ago, an allegation Trump has denied.

Update 06/11/2023 12:03 pm ET: This story has been updated with additional information.

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