U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
The U.S. Senate will hold an impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the senior Republican from South Carolina, warned Democrats not to call witnesses to the trial, saying that could derail things instead. He cautioned them to end the trial as soon as possible.
Speaking to Fox News Channel on Monday (Feb. 1), Graham said, “To my Democratic colleagues, if you try to call witnesses, you’re going to destroy the U.S. Senate. Don’t do that. Let’s get this botched farce over with.”
The U.S. House of Representatives passed articles of impeachment against Trump in two days by a vote of 232 to 197, with no witnesses present during the process. Ten Republicans joined the Democrats in voting for it. They claim that Trump was involved in inciting protesters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6.
The impeachment case now moves to the Senate, where the trial will begin the week of Feb. 8.
Graham said he was disappointed in President Joe Biden for not preventing a second impeachment of Trump.
Graham also said he believes Democrats are afraid of the leftists in their own party who are calling not only for Trump’s impeachment, but also for the expulsion of senators and representatives who challenged the Electoral College vote in swing states in a joint session of Congress.
“I think Democratic senators are afraid of the left in their party, and if they don’t give some credibility to this trial that started in the House, they’re going to be in trouble.” Graham said.
“The second impeachment of Donald Trump has not stood the test of Time. The Democrats are in a dilemma. They started doing this in the House.” He added, “From the time impeachment was proposed to the time it was concluded, in less than 50 hours, they impeached the president of the United States in Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) House of Representatives. Not a single lawyer was available and not a single witness was called.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Graham said Senate Republicans are unanimous that the impeachment process is unconstitutional, although he is not sure that Republicans have the 51 votes needed to dismiss the trial on Feb. 8 because five Republican senators voted to move forward when the articles of impeachment were introduced into the Senate last week.
“It was a great meeting with Senator McConnell today. I think every Republican sees the House process as an affront to the presidency and to due process.” Graham said.
Recent Comments