During an interview this weekend on ABC’s This Week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed what was basically a grade-school level understanding of the criminal charges Trump is now facing federally — no offense to grade-schoolers.
Graham loudly complained about Trump being accused of “espionage,” a complaint drawn from Trump’s 31 alleged counts of felony criminal acts under the Espionage Act… but it’s not just literal spying that is covered by that law. Instead, it also covers general instances of willfully mishandling sensitive government documents, over which Trump simply did not have unilateral control, per the law. Graham should probably read beyond the title of the law. “Donald Trump — you may hate his guts, but he is not a spy. He did not commit espionage,” Graham angrily asserted. “What he did is very similar in my view to what Hillary Clinton did.”
There’s “an audio tape of Donald Trump saying he knows this is secret information, he knows he’s sharing it with other people,” longtime host George Stephanopoulos told Graham. “How is that okay?”
“I’m not saying it’s okay,” Graham replied, rehashing some of the nauseatingly ancient and long investigated allegations of misconduct surrounding sensitive materials by Hillary Clinton and her team. “What’s happening in Manhattan to Donald Trump has never happened to anybody in the history of New York. I think the espionage charges are completely wrong… I do believe that most people on my side of the aisle believe when it comes to Donald Trump there are no rules, and you can do the exact same thing or something very similar as the Democrat and nothing happens to you.” That description of events is not remotely accurate. It is only in a non-existent fantasy world where Democrats can just do alleged crimes and not face even the threat of serious consequences.
Graham also alleged that Trump was being prosecuted by his political opponent, meaning Joe Biden, which is flatly false. Biden does not exert direct control over operations at the Justice Department, including the decision of whether to charge Trump. Check out this portion of Graham’s interview, as highlighted by ABC, below:
Pressed by @GStephanopoulos on alleged recording of former Pres. Trump sharing sensitive info, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump is being targeted unfairly.
“I would like to review the system…I think the espionage charges are completely wrong.” https://t.co/TAi6FOqGGJ pic.twitter.com/GXYxP5nv2z
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 11, 2023
