Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that some Democratic senators are getting cold feet over impeaching former President Donald Trump and fear it will “blow up in their face.”
“There’s more than a handful of Democrats praying that [President] Joe Biden will get on the phone and call [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and say ‘its over’ because they understand this is going to blow up in their face politically,” Graham told Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“I’ve never felt better about the Republican Senate conference being united behind the idea that what the House did was wrong in terms of process,” he added. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham: ‘If You’re Wanting To Erase Donald Trump From The [Republican] Party, You’re Going To Get Erased’)
The House of Representatives voted Jan. 13 to impeach Trump for the second time for allegedly inciting the riot that broke out Jan. 6. During the riot, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
Ten House Republicans voted to impeach Trump, including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. According to one report, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was initially considering voting for impeachment and just thisTuesday said the rioters “were fed lies” and were “provoked by the president.”
“The second impeachment of Donald Trump is not wearing well over time,” Graham said. “Democrats are in a box. They started this thing in the House, they impeached the president of the United States in [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi’s house in less than 50 hours from bringing it up to conclusion, without a lawyer, not one witness was called.”
The senator said he “had a great meeting” Thursday with McConnell and is convinced that “every Republican” senator sees the second impeachment of Trump “as an affront to the presidency and due process.” Graham noted that if 51 senators agree, the impeachment trial could be dismissed.
“And I think we are going to have an overwhelming Republican vote that this second impeachment of Donald Trump is unconstitutional,” he said.
Then-President Donald Trump waves as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Jan. 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The senator noted that former President Richard Nixon resigned from office and was not pursued with threats of impeachment afterwards. Graham said that McConnell “was offended by the process in the House” and said it was just “an angry action.”
“The president has a very good legal team, a great legal team and we’re going to fight like hell to make sure that the second impeachment of Donald Trump ends as quickly as possible, either dismissed or with an overwhelming vote for acquittal,” Graham promised. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham Says A Pardon Of Capitol Rioters ‘Would Be Wrong … Would Destroy President Trump’ And They Should Be Fully Prosecuted)