Senator Lindsey Graham has expressed concern over what he perceives as a targeted effort against former President Donald Trump in his ongoing legal battles.
According to a report by USA Today on Sunday, April 28, 2024, the senator from South Carolina suggested that Trump is facing a unique legal battle in New York, allegedly tailored specifically for him.
Graham’s remarks, made in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” came amid Trump’s unprecedented trial regarding hush money payments, with the former president facing 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The trial, unfolding in New York, has garnered significant attention, particularly with the testimony of David Pecker, the former head of the National Enquirer tabloid’s parent company.
During the trial, Pecker revealed details about the practice of “catch and kill,” where negative stories about Trump were acquired and suppressed to protect his image during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Notably, payments were made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to silence their accounts of alleged affairs with Trump.
CNN’s Dana Bash reportedly asked Senator Graham if he had any concerns about Pecker’s practice at that time and he responded by referencing other celebrities who have allegedly engaged in similar practices, implying that this behavior is not uncommon in high-profile circles.
He criticized the focus on Trump, describing the situation as a manufactured crime specifically designed to target the former president.
“You know, apparently a lot of people do this. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tiger Woods. No, I think the whole thing is a crock… They created a crime just for Trump,” Graham said.
Graham also claimed that the statute of limitations for the case in question has already passed, adding, “[New York District Attorney] Alvin Bragg took a case that was rejected by the federal government to resurrect these misdemeanors. I think it’s a political hit job on Trump six months before the election.”
However, USA Today noted that there is no substantial evidence to suggest that the legal actions against Trump are politically motivated or timed to coincide with the upcoming election cycle.
In his interview, Graham adamantly rejected the notion that Trump’s legal troubles would significantly influence voter behavior in the upcoming elections.
He argued that the American electorate is more concerned with pressing issues such as inflation, crime rates, and immigration policies, rather than the legal challenges faced by a former president.
Graham said, “Most Americans are not going to decide how to vote based on Trump’s legal troubles, but the troubles they face – inflation, crime, or a broken border… People are looking at their problems, not Trump’s legal problems.”
Overall, Graham’s comments shed light on the perceived targeting of Trump in his legal battle, raising questions about the motivations behind the ongoing legal actions and their potential impact on broader political narratives.