Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an ardent supporter of ex-President Donald Trump, appeared on Fox News Sunday over the weekend for what seemed like an attempted victory lap after Trump’s acquittal by the Senate on a charge of incitement of insurrection. Although 57 Senators voted in favor of conviction, a full 67 votes are needed to actually enact the move. The impeachment charge that drove the proceedings originally emerged after a Trump-inspired mob stormed the Capitol building and put many people’s lives in danger in an attempt to forcibly stop the Congressional certification of Joe Biden’s electoral college victory — but Graham was hardly concerned about Trump’s obvious role in the violence.
.@LindseyGrahamSC says President Trump does not bear any responsibility for the riots at the U.S. Capitol– adding that the former president did act "over the top" after the election. #FoxNewsSunday
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) February 14, 2021
On Fox, Graham said that Trump bears no responsibility for the Capitol rioting, although he did admit that the former president’s behavior was “over the top” in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Trump delusionally claimed that the election was rigged for Biden, and the rioters at the Capitol operated under this exact pretense — but Graham wasn’t moved from his conviction that Trump is innocent. On the day of the rioting, members of a crowd in D.C. to whom Trump eventually personally spoke shouted “Storm the Capitol!” and “invade the Capitol building” — but again, Graham was unfazed. Is there anything at all that would get Graham to admit Trump’s guilt?
“‘Storm the Capitol.’ ‘Invade the Capitol.’… ‘Take the Capitol right now.’ These were the words of the crowd. Trump was telling them to fight and he would keep telling them to fight throughout the rest of his speech.” pic.twitter.com/GUWXMYZgdn
— The Republican Accountability Project (@AccountableGOP) February 10, 2021
On Fox, Graham also said that he spoke to Trump after the acquittal vote in the Senate, and the Senator characterized the ex-president as ready to campaign on behalf of Republicans ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. At present, Democrats control both chambers of Congress, but margins are slim — in the Senate, if Democrats lose one seat from their overall total, then control reverts to Republicans. Thankfully, Senate Republicans in the generally close states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania aren’t running for re-election, opening up opportunities for Democratic pick-ups. Pennsylvania’s other Senator is already a Democrat, and the current governor of North Carolina is a Democrat, meaning that the party clearly has statewide viability.
.@LindseyGrahamSC says he spoke to President Trump last night– adding that the former president is eager to build up the GOP and get out on the trail in 2022 to flip The House and Senate. #FoxNewsSunday
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) February 14, 2021
Graham suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris could get impeached if Republicans regain control of the House in 2022 — but it’s worth noting that an article of impeachment against President Joe Biden that was already filed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) currently has zero co-sponsors. Either way, threateningly raising the prospect of impeaching Harris is ridiculous.
.@LindseyGrahamSC says he does not know how Vice President Harris doesn't get impeached if republicans take back the majority in The House in 2022. #FoxNewsSunday
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) February 14, 2021
Republicans have claimed that Harris supported violent rioters last year, but this claim grossly misrepresents the facts. Harris actually posted support for an organization called the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which provides cash bail support to Minnesota residents. Most people who were arrested in the Minneapolis area in connection to protests around the time of Harris’s post didn’t even require bail money, and over one in four never even faced charges, suggesting that they themselves were victims of police overreach. Harris did not somehow single out violent rioters for support. For starters, cash bail requirements disproportionately impact lower income people, forcing them to stay in jail for longer, and supporting a measure of criminal justice reform doesn’t equal supporting criminals!
