Lindsey Graham Warns Nancy Pelosi That Republican Senators Will Ensure Impeachment Is Dead on Arrival
South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham wants House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California to realize that even if the Democrat-dominated House successfully impeaches President Donald Trump, the buck stops in the Senate.
Speaking Wednesday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Graham said he plans to have fellow Republican senators sign a letter to Pelosi emphasizing that Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not grounds for impeachment.
During the call in question, Trump mentioned to Zelensky some concerns he had regarding Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son.
During Biden’s time as vice president, he pushed for the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor who had investigated a Ukrainian energy company where his son, Hunter, served on the board.
“The House could care less about fairness,” Graham said, explaining why he invited Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Graham is the chairman.
As Politico reported, Giuliani has for months been looking into alleged corruption involving Ukraine and the Bidens.
Graham contrasted his efforts to find the facts with the “star chamber” impeachment process in the House.
“At the end of the day, I am going to shed light on all things Ukraine,” Graham said. “And I’m going to ask my colleagues in the Senate — Republicans — to sign a letter to Nancy Pelosi saying we do not believe the transcript of the phone call between the president and the Ukraine is an impeachable offense.”
“They’re about to destroy the nation for no good reason,” Graham added. “I’ve read the transcript. I do not see anything wrong there. And I want Nancy Pelosi to know that Republican senators are not going to impeach this president based on this transcript, so she can stop now before she destroys the country.”
House Democrats could very well succeed in impeaching Trump, as they’d need just a majority vote in the lower chamber of Congress to do so.
But impeachment on its own effectively acts as nothing more than an indictment. In order for Trump to be removed from office, a two-thirds majority in the Senate would have to vote to convict him following a trial.
Considering that Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, it’s highly unlikely Trump would be removed from office.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for his part, has signaled that the Senate would have to take up the issue if the House impeaches Trump.
“How long you’re on it is a whole different matter,” he said recently on CNBC.
McConnell, who’s up for re-election next year, has launched a series of ads on Facebook in which the Kentucky Republican says the impeachment push stops “with me.”
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