Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned Democrats not to call witnesses for the impeachment trial in the Senate, saying that it could blow up in their faces. He instead cautioned them to end the trial as quickly as possible.
“There are more than a handful of Democrats praying that Joe Biden will get on the phone and call Schumer and say it’s over because they understand this is going to blow up in their face, politically,” Graham added.
The U.S. House of Representatives impeached Trump in a two-day, no-witness, process with a vote of 232 to 197, with 10 Republicans joining, for what they said was the former president’s role in inciting the breach of the Capitol building on Jan. 6. The impeachment now moves to the U.S. Senate and the trial is set to start the week of Feb. 8.
The South Carolina senator said he is disappointed in President Joe Biden for not discouraging the second impeachment. He said he believes Democrats are afraid of the left-wing of their party that has called for both the impeachment of Trump and the expulsion of senators and representatives that objected to the electoral college votes in swing states, during the joint session of Congress.
“I think Democratic senators are afraid of the left-wing of their party that if they don’t give some credibility to this trial that started in the House, they’re in trouble,” said Graham.
“The second impeachment of Donald Trump is not wearing well over time. Democrats are in a box; they started this thing in the House,“ he added. ”They impeached the president of the United States in Nancy Pelosi’s House in less than 50 hours from bringing up to a conclusion, without a lawyer. Not one witness was called.”
The office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Schumer has said that the impending Senate impeachment trial will be “fair” and “full.”
Graham said that Senate Republicans are united under the belief that the impeachment process is unconstitutional, although he was not certain the Republicans had the 51 votes needed to dismiss the trial on Feb. 8, since five senators voted to proceed at the time the article of impeachment was introduced in the Senate last week.
“Had a great meeting with Sen. McConnell today; I think every Republican sees the House process as an affront to the presidency and due process,” Graham said.
“Now I think we'll pick up at least one Democrat, maybe more. ... Sen. McConnell’s come up with a plan that I think is good for the country, good for the Senate, fair to the president,” he added.
