Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed the Capitol Hill press corps for what he said is a double standard when media outlets cover impeachment of a Democratic president as opposed to a Republican.
“Nobody would be saying this about a Democratic president,” Graham said during a press briefing Wednesday. “If a Republican House had done this, you wouldn’t even ask me that question. All of you would be in our face, saying that there’s a Democratic president and you’re denying that person, he or she, a chance to go to court and litigate these matters — gosh, you hate them so much.”
Graham criticized reporters for not asking tougher questions of Democrats who have been seeking to subpoena additional witnesses and testimony.
Senate Democrats say they want to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who they say have relevant information that could sway the opinion of a jury of 100 senators.
House Democrats never issued a subpoena against Bolton or Mulvaney, fearing such an action would get caught up in the courts.
[Read more: ‘Hell to pay’: Democrats step up pressure for witnesses but duck Biden question]
Senators get 16 hours to ask questions. Wouldn’t they like to ask about documents?
If McConnell gets his way, they won’t see any documents before their questions.
Even if documents are allowed later, they can’t ask a single question about them.
Americans deserve a fair trial. pic.twitter.com/wF5SBs9xV8
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 22, 2020
Trump is a danger to national security, Democrats in both chambers say, so the House voted to approve articles of impeachment late last year.
“It shows you how complicit people have become when it comes to Trump,” Graham said. “Not one question about the idea that a Democratic-controlled House in 48 days impeaching the president of the United States with a process where you couldn’t have a lawyer, couldn’t call a witness.”
Some Senate Republicans have floated the idea of witness reciprocity in order to get Hunter Biden to testify, a suggestion Democrats rejected.
Graham and other Trump defenders in Congress have instead complained about a “rushed” impeachment process conducted by House Democrats, blasting it as a “sham” and a “national disgrace.”
Democrats are impeaching Trump on two charges: one of abuse of power and other on obstruction of Congress. The abuse of power allegation comes in the wake of a well-documented pressure campaign orchestrated by Trump’s top aides again the government of Ukraine.
Led by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, a team of close confidants of the president urged Ukrainian officials to investigate corruption allegations waged against former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s chief domestic political rival.
During a July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine, Trump asked his counterpart to “do us a favor” and investigate Biden. At the same time, military aid to the country was briefly held up by the White House Office of Budget Management.
The White House has refused to cooperate with any congressional requests for documents or witness testimony relating to the shadow diplomacy campaign, citing executive privilege and sparking the obstruction of Congress charge.
Republicans have dismissed the charges as flimsy and vindictive against a president they disagree with politically.
“The only thing I can tell the American people,” Graham said. “When it comes to replacing this president, nine months-plus from the election, you got an uphill battle with me.”
Their case was so “overwhelming” in the House that they need & demand Witnesses in the Senate! https://t.co/XuOMzYSnwv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2020
As for the press corps, Graham said if it was the Republicans needling a Democratic president over his conduct while in office, “you would be all over us.”
Opening arguments in Trump’s Senate impeachment trial began Wednesday.
