“I’m glad he picked him. I swear to God, there was a time I thought he would pick Judge Judy.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by the Washington Post, praising President Trump’s pick of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court.
Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 193
The Magnificent Seven
Trial Balloon · Ep. 193: The Magnificent Seven
Quote of the Day
“You’ve humiliated this guy enough and there seems to be no bottom for some of you. Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, quoted by The Hill, responding to a protester saying Brett Kavanaugh should take a polygraph test.
Graham Says He Won’t Read FBI Report
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he has no plans to personally read the FBI report on Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but he’s confident the supplemental background check found no evidence to corroborate allegations of sexual misconduct, McClatchy reports.
Said Graham: “I asked questions. I knew exactly what I was looking for …. the summaries suggest nothing new.”
He added: “I am good to go. Enough already. Let’s vote.”
Graham Says Klobuchar Should Apologize
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) should apologize to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Graham noted that Kavanaugh apologized during last Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for “snapping” at Klobuchar after she asked him if he had ever “blacked out” from drinking.
Said Graham: “Here’s what I think. Amy Klobuchar should apologize to Kavanaugh and his family for being part of a smear campaign that I haven’t seen for over 20 years of politics.”
Graham’s Fallback Plan on Kavanaugh
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “has a Plan B if the Senate fails to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: Let’s run this back and take it to voters in the midterms,” Roll Call reports.
Said Graham: “What would I do? I would re-nominate him and I would take this case to the American people and I’d ask voters in Indiana, in Missouri, in North Dakota and other places where Trump won — saying who he would nominate if he got to be president — and see if the voters want to appeal the verdict of their senator.”
Graham Explodes During Kavanaugh Questioning
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “erupted in anger during his turn to question Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday, marking a pivotal turn away from the GOP’s previously measured attempt to rely on outside counsel for questioning the high court nominee,” Politico reports.
“It was a stunning moment, but one that had been coming for days for anyone watching the 63-year-old senator closely.”
“A furious Graham accused Senate Democrats of ‘the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics’ — an effort to ruin Kavanaugh’s reputation and sink his nomination for the Supreme Court.”
Said Graham: “What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open, and hope you win in 2020.”
Graham Calls for Investigation of ‘Bureaucratic Coup’
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he believes “a bureaucratic coup” led by enemies of President Trump is taking place at the Justice Department, and the senator asked that a new special counsel be appointed to investigate, the Washington Post reports.
Said Graham: “Before the election, the people in question tried to taint the election, tip it to Clinton’s favor; after the election, they’re trying to undermine the president.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“All I can say is that we’re bringing this to a close. They’ve had tons of time to do this. This has been a drive-by shooting when it comes to Kavanaugh. I’ll listen to the lady, but we’re going to bring this to a close.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by the Washington Post, on the sexual assault allegations made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Graham Wants to Know Who Paid for Accuser’s Polygraph
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that he wants to know who paid for a polygraph test taken by the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.
Said Graham: “Here’s what I want your audience to know: If Ms. Ford really did not want to come forward, never intended to come forward, never planned to come forward, why did she pay for a polygraph in August and why did she hire a lawyer in August if she never intended to do what she is doing? And who paid for it?”
Graham Goes All In on Trump
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) “unexplained optimism, his eager attempts to soften Trump’s rough edges, have confused colleagues and caused double-takes across Washington,” the AP reports.
“The South Carolina Republican was McCain’s best friend in the Senate, a self-described student of his politics and personal integrity. But he has deviated dramatically in his approach to the tempestuous and divisive president. While others stayed their distance — McCain perhaps most of all — Graham has gone all in, transforming himself into liaison, translator and, critics say, enabler of the president.”
“Graham has his own political motivations. His pivot comes as he is gearing up for his own re-election in 2020. The senator is popular in his deeply conservative state, but opposition to the president could mean risking a primary challenge.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“You had a chance, and you lost. If you want to pick judges from your way of thinking, then you better win an election.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by the Washington Post, chastising Democrats for raising objections at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“He said help him where you can, just don’t get sucked into all of his bullshit.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by The Hill, talking about advice the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) gave him for working with President Trump.
Graham Says New AG Must Let Mueller Finish
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that if President Trump replaces Attorney General Jeff Sessions, “his new nominee would have to promise the Senate that he would allow special counsel Robert Mueller to complete his investigation,” the Washington Post reports.
Said Graham: “You have to replace him with somebody who is highly qualified and will commit to the Senate to allow Mueller to do his job. Nobody is going to take Jeff’s place that doesn’t commit to the Senate and the country as a whole that Mueller will be allowed to finish his job without political interference.”
Graham raised eyebrows last week when he seemed to give Trump his blessing to fire Sessions, telling reporters that the president was “entitled to an attorney general he has faith in.”
Graham Says Trump Will Oust Sessions After Election
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said it’s “very likely” President Trump will replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions but warned against doing so before the midterm elections, Bloomberg reports.
Said Graham: “The president’s entitled to an attorney general he has faith in, somebody that’s qualified for the job, and I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice. Clearly, Attorney General Sessions doesn’t have the confidence of the president.”
Graham Says Trump Kept Bringing Up Mueller
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that he has told President Trump that ending the special counsel investigation of Robert Mueller would undermine GOP chances in November, Roll Call reports.
Said Graham, who played golf with Trump over the weekend: “He must have mentioned that about 20 times.”
Graham Says Firing Mueller Would Lead to End of Trump
Sen. Lindsey Graham warned President Trump not to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, Reuters reports.
Said Graham: “The only reason Mr. Mueller could ever be dismissed is for cause. I see no cause when it comes to Mr. Mueller. I pledge to the American people as a Republican, to ensure that Mr. Mueller can continue to do his job without any interference.”
He added: “As I have said before, if he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency, because we’re a rule of law nation.”
Graham Says His Memory of Meeting ‘Hasn’t Evolved’
Sen. Linsdey Graham (R-SC) declined to directly confirm President Trump’s “shithole countries” comment last week but told the Charleston Post and Courier, “My memory hasn’t evolved. I know what was said and I know what I said.”
Graham privately told Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) that Trump made the comments.
Graham Confirmed Trump Made ‘Shithole’ Comment
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) told the Charleston Post and Courier that he talked to fellow Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) about hearing President Trump’s “shithole countries” comment and Graham confirmed to him the president said it.
Graham’s office has not returned messages inquiring about Trump’s comments that reportedly were uttered in the Oval Office during a bi-partisan meeting on immigration reform.
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Taegan Goddard
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.
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