Joining the characteristic chorus of leading Republican voices lining up behind Trump’s cause after the ex-president was convicted on Thursday of dozens of felony criminal charges in New York City was Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)… who once expressed strident opposition to the now convicted felon.
“I expect this case to be reversed on appeal and for Donald Trump to be elected president in November,” Graham wrote on X, formerly Twitter, also going after jurors who served in Trump’s case. He complained about a “jury pool that comes from one of the most liberal areas of America,” meaning New York City.
In the past, Graham infamously asserted in a post on, actually, the same platform that Republicans would get “destroyed” if they nominated Trump for president in 2016. Graham’s replies and quotes (in which a user reposts the original content and adds their own commentary) were full of a screenshot of this past post from Graham, appearing over and over again.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor and author, drew other connections. “Authoritarian parties have approved talking points. This is one. You will see it everywhere,” said her reply to some of Graham’s rant (the first part, predicting reversal).
Also rushing to Trump’s defense after the verdict was Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), already known as a Trump supporter. Johnson tried blaming “Democrats” for the conviction, though, strictly speaking, it was a jury rather than “Democrats” that delivered the guilty verdict, setting up a forthcoming sentencing.
Trump himself never actually testified during the trial, though the stream of invective from the ex-president on social media remains consistent. “MAGA2024! WITCH HUNT! IF THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ME, IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!” he claimed in a portion of an early Friday rant, though that’s not necessarily true. The case wasn’t based on general principles or animosity or vagaries. It was based on specifically alleged actions on Trump’s part that the jury accepted.
