Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is standing by his position on former President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he would consider pardoning January 6 rioters.
Graham said in a statement, “I stand with the police officers who protect our streets, federal courthouses, and the United States Capitol against rioters. They deserve our respect and support, and I will not second-guess the decisions they made under dire circumstances.”
He explained Americans need to speak out against “politically motivated violence.”
Graham’s statement continues, “All Americans are entitled to have a speedy trial and their day in court, but those who actively engage in violence for whatever political cause must be held accountable and not be forgiven.”
During an interview with CBS News over the weekend, Graham called Trump’s comments “inappropriate.”
Newsmax host Rob Schmitt mentioned Graham’s remark to Trump, as IJR reported.
“Well, Lindsey Graham is wrong. I mean, Lindsey is a nice guy, but he’s a RINO,” Trump said.
He added, “Lindsey’s wrong. Look, they tried to burn down Washington — we’re talking federal buildings. They were terrible. Every Democrat city was on fire, and nobody says anything about it. Antifa and BLM were causing so many problems, including death.”
The former president went on to suggest Graham “doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about if he says that because you have to have equal justice. It’s very, very unfair what’s happened to this group of people.”
Robert Jenkins, an attorney for January 6 rioters, shared with CNN how Trump suggesting pardons would impact cases, as IJR reported.
“I would imagine they each would view such a suggestion in a slightly different manner,” Jenkins said.
He told the network it would “impact not only the attorney’s perspective, but certainly, the client’s also.”
Jenkins proceeded to acknowledge Trump “continues to motivate, to impact, to suggest the actions of those who support him.”