Senator Lindsey Graham voted early, calling Biden’s ‘rubbish’ comment.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham voted early in South Carolina and discussed President Biden’s “garbage” comments and election certification.
WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C, said Sunday that she thinks it was a “mistake” for President Donald Trump to pardon those who tortured law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Trump issued nearly 1,600 pardons for defendants on Monday, Jan. 6, after taking the oath of office. Trump’s blanket pardon condemned police, their families and lawmakers who fought the mob during the Capitol attack, including Some of the president’s fellow Republicans.
Graham argued that while Trump has the legal authority to issue the pardon, he fears the move could fuel “more violence” in the country.
Graham told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker, “Forgiving the people who went to the Capitol and violently beat a police officer, I think it was a mistake, because it seems like the right thing to do. “
This isn’t the first time Graham has publicly dissociated himself from Trump, despite being one of the president’s most vocal supporters.
The South Carolina lawmaker didn’t just criticize members of his own party on Sunday. He also knocked the former. President Joe Biden To excuse his family members, including his brother James, during his final hours in office. The former president said he feared politically motivated investigations against his relatives.
“You know, Biden pardoned half his family walking out the door. I think most Americans, if it goes through, will see it as an abuse of the pardon power…but killing cops In terms of excusing violent people, I think that’s a mistake,” Graham said.
Graham questioned Trump’s mass deportation plan and other measures
Graham also questioned on Sunday whether Trump would be able to follow through on his plan to begin mass deportations of 11 million undocumented immigrants. Estimated to be Residents of the United States
“I’m not so sure they’re going to deport 11 million people,” Graham said, adding that he doesn’t believe Congress has approved enough resources to launch such an effort. Mass deportations were central to Trump’s re-election bid.
“We talk about doing it, but we don’t have the resources — we haven’t given the resources to the Trump team.” Graham said. Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan said. In an interview with ABC News that aired Sunday that the success of the massive deportation plan “will depend on what Congress gives us.”
Trump previously dismissed concerns about the cost of the mass deportation effort on NBC News. November interview.
According to the nonpartisan American Immigration Council, the mass deportation of 1 million people a year could cost $88 billion a year. It would require an unprecedented ramp-up of law enforcement personnel, detention capacity, immigration courtrooms and access to flight.
Welker also pressed Graham on Trump’s decision to remove more than a dozen inspectors general from various agencies, even though federal law requires Congress to take 30 days notice to take such action.
Inspectors general are independent watchdogs within agencies who investigate and Reveal waste, fraud and abuse..
Asked if Trump had violated the law, Graham told Welker that “technically” he had, but he ignored the president’s broad powers.
“But he has the power to do that. So, I’m not, you know, losing any sleep that he wants to change personnel. I just want to make sure he gets off to a good start. I think he has,” Graham said.
Contributing: Reuters, Bart Johnson and Riley Begin, USA TODAY
