Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that Democrats are neglecting their oversight responsibilities and are instead focused on attacking President Donald Trump.
“I don’t think this is oversight. I think this is trying to destroy him and his family,” Graham said when stopped by reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. “Oversight is to hold the executive branch accountable, not to retry the election. Trump won. This is more about destroying Trump than it is trying to oversee the executive branch, in my view. ”
Graham also urged the Trump administration not to give in to requests from House Democrats, calling the actions of Democratic leaders “politically motivated.” (RELATED: Nadler Issues Subpoena For Full Unredacted Mueller Report)
“If I were to president I would not give in to these demands about everything I’ve done because I think they’re politically motivated,” Graham said.
As chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, Graham conducted Wednesday’s contentious hearings during which Democratic senators grilled Attorney General William Barr over his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. (RELATED: Sen. Richard Blumenthal Tells Barr That ‘History Will Judge You Harshly’)
Chuck Grassley and AG Bill Barr (CSPAN: May 1, 2019)
Democrats were irate after a letter from Robert Mueller to Barr was made public that expressed the special counsel’s frustration with Barr’s handling of the report.
Graham defended Barr from Democrats’ attacks, ripping Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, who had accused Barr of “trying to cover up for Donald Trump.”
“You slandered this man from top to bottom, so if you want more of this, you’re not going to get it,” Graham told Hirono.