In contrast to what his Republican colleague has claimed in the run-up to his second term, US Senator Lindsey Graham has said that those who looked into the 2021 deadly attack on the US Capitol by Donald Trump fans shouldn’t be put in jail.
Kristen Welker, the anchor of NBC’s Meet the Press, asked Graham on Sunday if he agreed with Trump’s comment on the program seven days prior that individuals working on the investigation into the January 6 Capitol incident ought to be imprisoned.
“No,” declared Graham, the senior senator from South Carolina and the ranking member of the chamber’s budget and judiciary committees.
Graham said, “Okay, that was very clear and concise,” to Welker’s question during a section meant to encourage rapid responses.
The exchange, which took place in the midst of a larger political controversy over who should be pardoned in connection with an attack on Congress that claimed several lives, including the suicides of traumatized law enforcement officers, showed Graham’s occasional willingness to publicly disagree with Trump while still remaining a steadfast ally.
Trump will pardon the attackers in January 2025 to begin his second term, though there may be exceptions. He talked to Welker on December 8 about the violent and desperate attempts by his fans to retain him in the White House after he lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election by pressuring them to take guilty pleas.
Following his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November, which resulted in the dismissal of federal criminal charges against him, Trump denied instructing his second administration to jail elected officials who looked into the Capitol attack. He did, however, make sure to tell Welker, “To be honest, they ought to be put in jail.”
In a separate interview on Meet the Press on Sunday, liberal US Senator Bernie Sanders stated that Biden should give serious consideration to the suggestion expressed by others that he should grant preemptive pardons to those looking into the Capitol attack.
Sanders did not name anyone, but Trump had a week earlier named the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the US House committee that was formed for the probe, Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney.
Sanders underlined that it is a symptom of authoritarianism and dictatorship, not democracy, to imprison elected people who carry out investigations.
Sanders added, “I think that idea of Trump is not going to go very far. You just heard Lindsey Graham make that statement.”
More than 1,250 people have been convicted or pleaded guilty in connection with the January 6 attack. At least 645 people have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.
In his December 8 interview with Welker, Trump criticized Biden’s recent pardon of his son Hunter for tax evasion and lying on gun ownership application papers, but he blamed the convictions on a highly corrupt system that he would control through pardons.
Trump was found guilty by a New York state court in May of fraudulently fabricating financial documents to hide hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.