Graham Tells Biden He’s Not Being Controlled By Trump: ‘I’m Fine, Joe’

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks at a news conference proposing legislation to address the crisis at the southern border on May 15, 2019. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended his investigation into 2020 candidate Joe Biden on Monday after Biden, with whom Graham has a decades-long friendship, slammed the senator for the probe.

During a radio interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, Graham argued that his investigation, which is based on President Donald Trump’s debunked conspiracy theory that Biden ousted a Ukrainian prosecutor to protect his son, has “nothing to do with friendship.”

“When Joe Biden was vice presidential nominee in 2008, he tore the bark off John McCain and Sarah Palin,” the Republican lawmaker said. “Nobody asked him, ‘Hey well, that hurt your friendship.’ It didn’t hurt my relationship because that was the job he was assigned.”

Graham also addressed Biden’s assertion that Trump “is now essentially holding power over him that even the Ukrainians wouldn’t yield to.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine, Joe,” the senator said.

Graham claimed that he was launching the investigation because “somebody needs to do it” despite his friendship with Biden and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).

“If they can’t withstand me doing my job, then it’s not the friendship I thought we had,” he said.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. This lickspittle thing has become contagious!

  2. Lindsey’s not too convincing, is he?

  3. Avatar for txguy txguy says:

    F.I.N.E.

    F**ked up, Insecure, Neurotic, Emotional.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

88 more replies

Participants

Avatar for slbinva Avatar for xpurg8d Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for kineslaw Avatar for meri Avatar for george_spiggott Avatar for hccarey Avatar for inversion Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for wildeye Avatar for benjoya Avatar for dickweed Avatar for pshah Avatar for junebug Avatar for tsp Avatar for spencersmom Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for loss_mentality Avatar for justruss Avatar for forcryinoutloud Avatar for mtw Avatar for rucleare Avatar for txguy

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: