Lindsey Graham labels impeachment inquiry ‘political lynching,’ defends Trump

Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday adopted President Trump’s tweeted view of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry as a “lynching.”

“This is a complete sham and a joke, and if that term ’political lynching’ bothers you, I’m sorry, call it a sham proceeding, I really don’t care, it’s the conduct,” Mr. Graham said. “The point is, what’s happening in the House is unfair, it’s a political sham, it’s a kangaroo court, it is a mob taking over, it is what happened to [Supreme Court Justice Brett] Kavanaugh — you’re guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent.”

“I am saying that lynching throughout history has been conducted against African Americans, but lynching throughout history has been conducted against people you don’t like — when mobs take over because of the color of your skin, your religious background and sometimes politically,” Mr. Graham said. 

Mr. Graham bristled at questions that he was suggesting Trump’s partisan opponents were supporting political violence against the president and told reporters that he was not equating impeachment with physically attacking Trump.

“Impeachment is the death penalty for a politician,” Mr. Graham said. “This at its core is un-American. Right now, there’s nobody in the country that should ever have to go through this.” 

Mr.Graham’s tone was markedly different from fellow South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who told reporters that lynching was “not the word I would’ve used” to describe House Democrats’ impeachment push.