President Donald Trump amplified the pressure on Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham Thursday to investigate alleged abuses of power that occurred under the Obama administration.
“If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama,” the president tweeted. “He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk!”
If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama. He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
The chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham has been criticized by some conservatives for not doing enough to reign in alleged overreach within federal law enforcement. Calls for Graham to take action were renewed after it was revealed that the Obama administration made requests to unmask former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn during the presidential transition period between late 2016 and early 2017. (RELATED: CNN Legal Analyst Decries ‘Astonishing Assault On The Rule Of Law’)
Graham praised acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell’s decision Thursday to release the names of Obama administration officials who made the unmasking requests, and promised to “perform oversight” of the requests.
“In light of General Flynn’s unmasking by the Obama Administration, the job of Congress will be to perform oversight of these unmasking requests to ensure the process was used for legitimate national security concerns, not reprisals or political curiosity,” Graham said. “I specifically want to know how many unmasking requests were made, if any, beyond General Flynn regarding members of the Trump campaign team, family, or associates.”
The unmasking of General Flynn by the Obama Administration regarding conversations during the presidential transition are deeply troubling and smell of politics, not national security.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 13, 2020
I specifically want to know how many unmasking requests were made, if any, beyond General Flynn regarding members of the Trump campaign team, family, or associates.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 13, 2020