Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is defending President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud and is suggesting if a Democrat took the same position, it would be applauded.
“Democracy depends upon fair elections. President Trump’s team is going to have a chance to make a case regarding voting irregularities. They deserve a chance to make that case. I’m going to stand with President Trump. If a Democrat were doing this, it’d be cheered on,” Graham said during a zoom call with reporters.
He added, “We’re not going to let the media intimidate us into exploring whether or not these contests were fairly had.”
Watch his comments below:
Sen. Lindsey Graham: "President Trump's team is going to have a chance to make a case regarding voting irregularities. They deserve a chance to make that case. I'm going to stand with President Trump. If a Democrat were doing this, it'd be cheered on." pic.twitter.com/h1p9dy1Sxd
— The Hill (@thehill) November 6, 2020
Graham was re-elected to the Senate after he defeated challenger, Jaime Harrison.
His comments come just one day after Trump told reporters during a press briefing, “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.”
NBC News declared the statement “entirely false.”
Trump added, “This is a case where they’re trying to steal an election, they’re trying to rig an election, and we can’t let that happen.”
The Washington Post called Trump’s remarks “irresponsible rhetoric” because the president has provided no evidence to back his claim.
Trump faced backlash from Republican lawmakers after he made his arguments.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) issued a statement on Twitter criticizing Trump for his unsubstantiated claims.
“The president is within his rights to request recounts, to call for investigation of alleged voting irregularities where evidence exists, and to exhaust legal remedies – doing these things is consistent with our election process. He is wrong to say that the election was rigged, corrupt and stolen – doing so damages the cause of freedom here and around the world, weakens the institutions that lie at the foundation of the Republic, and recklessly inflames destructive and dangerous passions,” Romney wrote.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 6, 2020
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also rejected Trump’s allegations of voter fraud, as IJR previously reported.
“The president’s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated. I’m not aware of any significant wrongdoing here,” Toomey said.