Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) justified his recent threat of “riots in the streets” if former President Trump is charged with mishandling confidential information on Saturday. Graham told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick during an interview at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, “What I attempted to do was say the obvious.”
Graham said, “This is what I said: The raid on President Trump’s house, the likely 2024 nominee, better bear some fruit here. If the issue is merely improper management of sensitive information, Hillary Clinton was held to a standard that was established.
On August 8, federal officials carried out a search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, where they discovered around 33 boxes containing more than 100 sensitive documents.
The search was related to the Justice Department’s inquiry into whether Trump broke two other federal laws, including the Espionage Act, which does not rely on the data being secret, as well as the Espionage Act. The investigations have given rise to raging rumors about whether Trump will ultimately be charged with a crime.
Graham made the contentious remark last Sunday while appearing on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America,” which was hosted by Trey Gowdy, a former lawmaker who served as the head of the House’s select committee looking into the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack that revealed Clinton’s private email server.
There will be riots in the streets if Donald Trump is charged with handling confidential information following the Clinton scandal, Graham warned Gowdy.
Graham and other Republicans have frequently cited the issue in their criticism of any prospective charges against Trump as being unfairly harsh. Clinton’s server was deemed “very careless” by the then-FBI Director James Comey, but the bureau chose not to charge her for handling classified information improperly.
Graham stated on Saturday that “our nation, the folks on our side, believe that there are no rules with Trump when it comes to the legal system,” adding that “Get him. It doesn’t matter how you get him,’ so I responded by saying that if what happened to Clinton happens to him and he is charged, it will be one of the most upsetting things to ever happen in America.
The South Carolina Republican also defended his activities after the 2020 presidential election, which are currently the subject of an ongoing legal dispute with the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, during the interview.
The Democratic district attorney, Fani Willis, has requested Graham’s testimony as part of her inquiry into whether Trump or his associates improperly attempted to sway the state’s 2020 presidential election.
Graham, meanwhile, has maintained that he can avoid testifying because of a constitutional clause that shields politicians from lawsuits and prosecution for what they say and do while working on legislation.
The subpoena was largely rejected by a federal court on Thursday, but Graham said he was still convinced that his attempt to avoid testifying would ultimately be successful.
According to him, the county prosecutor’s wish to extradite him to Georgia violates the Constitution. “I think the court is going to understand that my conduct as a United States senator were covered by the Speech and Debate Clause,” he said in an interview with CNBC.
