Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is firing back at Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for claiming calling witnesses at President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial would only make things worse.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper noted on Tuesday evening Graham said during an earlier appearance on Fox News that calling witnesses at Trump’s trial could open a “Pandora’s box.”
“I think Lindsey Graham is divorced from reality at this particular point in time because he’s no longer in charge of making the decision along with his colleagues on the other side of the aisle in suppressing the ability of witnesses to be called or threatening to call irrelevant witnesses,” Jeffries said.
He added, “There’s a new sheriff in town as it relates to what’s going on in the Senate and fairness is going to dictate the witnesses that I believe will be called in this trial and that’s a good thing for truth, for justice, and for the American people.”
Watch his remarks below:
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries fires back at Sen. Lindsey Graham's claim that a lengthy impeachment trial could open a Pandora's Box.
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) February 3, 2021
He "is divorced from reality… because he's no longer in charge," said Jeffries. "…There’s a new sheriff in town…and fairness is going to dictate…" pic.twitter.com/aLodhkBxEB
Graham warned Democrats if they call witnesses it will lead to a longer trial, as IJR reported.
“If the House managers want to use this as a political commercial against Donald Trump and Republicans, and they want to call witnesses now they didn’t call during the impeachment process in the House, this thing could go for weeks or months and that would be bad for the country,” Graham said.
He continued, “To my Democratic colleagues, if you vote to call one witness, none were called in the House, get ready for a long trial.”
The House impeachment managers revealed in a statement on Tuesday they believe the evidence to convict Trump of “incitement of insurrection” is “overwhelming,” as IJR reported.
Trump’s defense team argued the Senate “lacks jurisdiction” to hold a trial because the former president “holds no public office from which he can be removed.”