Sen. Lindsey Graham’s comments Monday that Donald Trump Jr. should “plead the Fifth” during a testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee have sparked a social media campaign calling for the South Carolina Republican’s resignation.
The hashtag “LindseyGrahamResign” trended on Twitter Tuesday after Graham told reporters Trump Jr.’s lawyer would “have to be an idiot” to permit the president’s eldest son to testify, adding that Trump Jr. should “just show up and plead the Fifth and it’s over with.”
“This whole thing is nuts,” said Graham, who serves as the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. “To me, it’s over.”
On Sunday, Graham said in a Fox News interview that Trump Jr. should ignore the subpoena altogether.
“If I were Donald Trump Jr.’s lawyer, I would tell him, ‘You don’t need to go back into this environment anymore,’” said Graham. “Nothing being alleged here changes the outcome of the Mueller investigation. I would call it a day.”
#LindseyGrahamResign is trending. Some haters will say “he won’t resign.” Yeah, we know. It isn’t about that. It’s the fact he SHOULD. Let’s take this opportunity to point out every reason why—like him publicly telling Don Jr to obstruct justice. Lindsey is Trump’s little lapdog.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) May 14, 2019
The Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Trump Jr. last week for additional testimony on top of the approximately 30 hours of testimony he’s already provided on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
BREAKING: #LindseyGrahamResign has been tweeted out over 20,000 times since @TheDemCoalition started to promote it this morning. Graham SHOULD resign. Him telling Don Jr to ignore a Senate subpoena is more than enough to warrant his resignation. Everyone who retweets this agrees.
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) May 14, 2019
Remember this guy, @LindseyGrahamSC? Because it seems like you’ve forgotten him, already. #LindseyGrahamResign pic.twitter.com/4dhEjrCJYZ
— VoteVets (@votevets) May 14, 2019
The social media campaign was started by liberal group The Democratic Coalition and had thousands of tweets sporting the hashtag by Tuesday afternoon.
Senator Lindsay Graham has openly encouraged Don Jr. to show up but to plead the 5th and refuse to testify. Why is Graham helping to cover up Don Jr.’s lies and further obstruct the investigation? #LindseyGrahamResign https://t.co/oBjaym3oKi
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 14, 2019
Keep #LindseyGrahamResign trending. Let that coward know he’s turned his back on America and democracy. @LindseyGrahamSC … do us all a favor and make this hashtag wish come true.
— Jack Wallen (@jlwallen) May 14, 2019
.@LindseyGrahamSC – obviously – isn’t going to resign. But if some of the Democrats running for president instead put their energy into taking back the Senate, we could neutralize Graham until South Carolinians eventually voted him out of office. #LindseyGrahamResign
— JackiSchechner (@JackiSchechner) May 14, 2019
Graham’s comments also drew criticism from fellow lawmaker Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. “This is not the Lindsey I know,” Manchin said on CNN Monday. “I can’t explain what’s going on right now in his thought process.”
Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Graham, responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment via Twitter, tweeting “No Collusion. No Obstruction. No Resignation.” in response to the campaign.
@veesharma07 Welcome to use my response in your story.
No Collusion.
No Obstruction.
No Resignation.— Kevin Bishop (@KevinDBishop) May 14, 2019
