Graham Tells Trump To ‘Ride It Out,’ Leave Mueller Alone Before Midterms

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19:  Sen. Lindsey Graham questions U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing June 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on recent immigration issues relating to border security and the EB-5 Investor Visa Program.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) questions U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing June 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. The co... WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) questions U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing June 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on recent immigration issues relating to border security and the EB-5 Investor Visa Program. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) fielded golf balls and questions at his Sunday outing with President Donald Trump, saying that he tried to convince the President not to end Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation before the midterms when Trump brought it up “about 20 times.”

According to a Tuesday Roll Call report, Graham did his best to calm the irate President, as he told the audience at a Greenville County Republican Party event Monday night.

“I want to win in November. If we stop the Mueller probe tomorrow, you wouldn’t be able to talk about anything else,” Graham said. “I told the President this: I promise you, you’ll be treated fairly. I promise you that the people who put the Clinton investigation in the tank, they’re going to have their day too.”

“So, I’m going to let Mueller do his job and we’ll see what he finds, but Mueller’s not in charge of looking at the FISA warrant application, he’s not in charge of overseeing the FBI,” he continued. “What they did during the 2016 election on behalf of Clinton appalls me.”

He quipped about Trump’s refusal to work with his own staff.

“I’ve told the President the same thing I’m going to tell you. I’ve been looking at this for two years. I find zero evidence of you colluding with the Russians. Trump beat Hillary Clinton, not the Russians,” Graham said. “I don’t think he colluded with the Russians ‘cause I don’t think he colludes with his own government, so why do we think he would’ve colluded with the Russians?”

The senator’s weekend was loaded with members of the Trump family, as he spent his Sunday evening dining with Jared Kushner.

“The Russian tower meeting, the only thing I can tell you about that meeting, Jared — who I had dinner with last night — in the middle of the meeting texted to his assistant, ‘get me out of this meeting.’ So, I told the President I know you don’t like it,” Graham said. “I know you feel put upon, you just gotta ride it out.”

Latest Livewire
58
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. The sheer load of horeshit in this article is mind boggling.

  2. Ride it out? Maybe in the back seat of an FBI SUV…

  3. I don’t think he colluded with the Russians ‘cause I don’t think he colludes with his own government, so why do we think he would’ve colluded with the Russians?

    And some people say Conservatives don’t have a sense of humor.

  4. “I’ve told the President the same thing I’m going to tell you. I’ve been looking at this for two years. I find zero evidence of you colluding with the Russians. Trump beat Hillary Clinton, not the Russians,” Graham said. “I don’t think he colluded with the Russians ‘cause I don’t think he colludes with his own government, so why do we think he would’ve colluded with the Russians?”

    And when Mr. Mueller proves how incredibly wrong you were, will you resign, Lindsey?

  5. “Ride it out” Very butch, Graham !

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

52 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for silas1898 Avatar for blandsten Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for becca656 Avatar for sniffit Avatar for danny Avatar for lastroth Avatar for alyoshakaramazov1 Avatar for drf55 Avatar for esva Avatar for riverstreet Avatar for dave_mb Avatar for benthere Avatar for southerndem Avatar for clauscph Avatar for tsp Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for marymaryquitecontrary Avatar for cub_calloway Avatar for maximus Avatar for davidn Avatar for 10c Avatar for jwbuho

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: