In recent days, a report emerged from the inspector general overseeing the Justice Department concluding that political bias had no effect on the course of the Russia investigation, which focused on Russian interference in the 2016 elections and Trump campaign benefits from that interference. Prominent Trump ally and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) seems to be feeling the heat. This Wednesday, at a public hearing about that ig report, he went off on angry tangents about the FBI, and even claimed they could have stopped Russian election interference — which is, quite simply, false. He’s off the rails and inventing culpability.
He said:
‘I want the American people to know there was an effort to affect Hillary Clinton’s campaign by foreign actors. The FBI picked up that effort, they briefed her about it, and they were able to stop it.’
Lindsey Graham begins the Horowitz hearing by claiming the FBI was "able to stop" the Russian interference campaign against the Clinton campaign. That's a lie. pic.twitter.com/fHIT9lQ6Hv
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2019
First of all — if he thinks he’s clever for noting that foreign interests sought to “affect Hillary Clinton’s campaign,” that ship sailed long ago. Everyone who actually pays attention was already well aware of this. As for the other part of Graham’s claim: there is, quite simply, no apparent evidence that the FBI could have stopped Russian election interference. What exactly were they supposed to do? Head over to Russia and ask the intelligence agents behind the meddling to “please stop”? Should they have sent a strongly worded letter? Graham just seems desperate to pin blame anywhere else but on those actually responsible for and benefiting from the meddling.
He had a hilariously sad defense for Trump in response to allegations that some of his associates were intertwined with Russian interests.
Graham said:
‘This national security team was literally picked up off the street. If you’ve had a photo with Donald Trump, you’ve spent more time with Donald Trump than Papadopoulos and Page.’
That’s not exactly reassuring! The, uh, defense here is that Trump couldn’t have possibly done anything criminal because he’s so terribly a mess at everything.
This was how Lindsey Graham defended Trump: "This national security team was literally picked up off the street. If you've had a photo with Donald Trump, you've spent more time with Donald Trump than Papadopoulos and Page." pic.twitter.com/davk9yLaqe
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2019
He eventually rambled for more than forty minutes as that Wednesday hearing got underway. He even spouted off about the infamous allegations of Trumpian “golden showers” contained in the also infamous Steele dossier of allegations about the president’s connections to Russia. Graham and his fellow Republican allies are intent on drumming up some kind of guilt from authorities who dared look into the very serious allegations against Trump — which included that dossier.
If you have "Lindsey Graham talks about golden showers during a Senate hearing" on your dystopia bingo card, today is your lucky day! pic.twitter.com/EJmhjzEFR9
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2019
Perhaps he’s preparing for the no doubt soon upcoming Senate impeachment trial for President Trump? This week, House Democrats publicly unveiled their formal articles of impeachment against Trump, which include charges of abuse of power and obstruction of duly proceeding Congressional inquiry and which they’re likely to soon approve. Although Graham, as Senate Judiciary Chairman, is poised to have a prominent role in the eventual impeachment trial, it’s not like many expect him to actually act impartially. He already freely declared that he found nothing wrong with an infamous phone conversation in which Trump tried to cajole Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating the Bidens.
