Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., let loose on Senate Democrats Thursday for their treatment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, accusing them of the “most unethical sham” he’s seen in politics.
“If you wanted an FBI investigation, you could have come to us,” Graham told Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to whom he was responding during Kavanaugh’s testimony regarding sex misconduct allegations. “What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020. You’ve said that, not me.”
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“This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics,” he said.
Graham praised Kavanaugh and his family for their actions since the allegations of his sex misconduct surfaced and attacked his Democratic colleagues on the dais, saying they had “no intention” of protecting Ford and were using her for political purposes.
“Boy, y’all want power. I hope you never get it,” Graham said. “I hope the American people can see through this sham.”
“God, I hate to say it, because these have been my friends,” Graham said, turning to Kavanaugh. “But let me tell you, when it comes to this, you’re looking for a fair process? You came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend.”
Graham asked the Supreme Court nominee if he thought he had been undergoing a job interview, to which Kavanaugh said he had, but adding that he had been through “hell and then some” since the allegations cropped up.
“This is not a job interview. This is hell,” Graham said. “This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap.”
The South Carolina Republican then challenged his Republican colleagues to vote for the judge, saying that they would be “legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen” in politics by failing to do so.
“I hope you’re on the Supreme Court,” Graham told Kavanaugh. “That’s exactly where you should be, and I hope the American people are able to see through this charade, and I wish you well and I intend to vote for you and I hope everybody who’s fair-minded will.”
Graham was critical of Democrats just prior to Kavanaugh’s testimony, telling them “you better watch out” for your own nominees in the future.
