Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the recent indictment of Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents is a boon for the former president.
“I know you don’t get what I’m saying, but people on my side believe it, and I think Donald Trump is stronger today politically than he was before,” Graham told ABC’s “This Week” on June 11.
According to a court document unsealed on June 8, Trump was charged with 37 felony counts over his handling of documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, including violating the federal Espionage Act and other federal statutes for allegedly making false statements, concealing documents, and conspiring to obstruct justice.
FBI agents raided Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, seizing over 11,000 documents and photographs without classified markings and around 100 documents marked classified or top secret. However, Trump has said he declassified the materials when he left office.
Graham said the espionage charges are “completely wrong.”
“You impeached him after he was out of office. Now, you bring in charges in Manhattan that are completely ridiculous. You’re accusing the guy of being a spy through espionage,” Graham added. “I promise you this, most Americans believe—most Republicans believe—that the law is used as a weapon against Donald Trump.”
Former President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Georgia state GOP convention at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center in Columbus, Ga., on June 10, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The classified document case is the second criminal case for Trump, who is scheduled to go on trial in New York in March 2024 in a state case where he was charged with 34 accounts of falsifying business records related to payments made in 2016. In this case, Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and stated that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has “no case” against him.
Graham said he will continue to support Trump and the former president “is innocent until proven guilty.”
The senator pointed to the controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton using a private email server to conduct official business while she was secretary of state.
“Most Republicans believe we live in a country where Hillary Clinton did very similar things and nothing happened to her. President Trump will have his day in court. But espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous,” Graham said.
“Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit espionage. He did not disseminate, leak, or provide information to a foreign power or to a news organization to damage this country. He is not a spy. He’s overcharged,” the senator continued. “Did he do things wrong? Yes, he may have. He will be tried about that. But Hillary Clinton wasn’t.”
Trump is scheduled to make his initial appearance at a Miami federal court on June 13. On the same day, the former president is set to deliver remarks at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
Trump
During a campaign trail event in Georgia on Saturday, Trump told supporters that the recent indictment against him was “ridiculous and baseless.”
“Hard to believe that the leading candidate, by far, of the opposition party, got indicted. This is strictly Third World. MAGA!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Sunday, referring to his Make America Great Again slogan.
According to a CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday, 76 percent of likely Republican primary voters said the second indictment against Trump was “politically motivated.”
The poll also found that 61 percent said their views about Trump had not changed following the second indictment. Meanwhile, 80 percent said Trump should be able to be president even if convicted over his handling of classified documents.
Florida governor and 2024 presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign stop at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, S.C., on June 2, 2023. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)
The same poll also found that his lead over other Republican presidential hopefuls had not shrunk following the second indictment.
Sixty-one percent of 586 likely GOP primary votes supported Trump, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finishing a distant second with 23 percent of support.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) finished third with 4 percent, tied with former Vice President Mike Pence. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley finished with 3 percent of support.
Many Republicans in Congress have criticized the indictment against Trump, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).
“The continued persecution of the President’s likely 2024 political opponent has revealed the alarming level of coordination and corruption within our Justice Department,” Marshall said in a statement. “President Trump warned us about the unprecedented abuse of power within the FBI/DOJ—it seems they will do anything to stop him once and for all.”
Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers U.S., China, and Taiwan news. He holds a master's degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
