Graham Under Fire for Calling Trump’s J6 Pardons a ‘Mistake’
South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham faced backlash after suggesting that President Donald Trump made a “mistake” during his first week in office.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet The Press, Graham told host Kristen Welker that Trump’s decision to pardon January 6 defendants was a “mistake.”
“Even his own vice president said, ‘If you committed violence on that day, obviously, you shouldn’t be pardoned.’ Do you believe that President Trump was wrong to issue these blanket pardons to the January 6th defendants?” Welker questioned.
Graham responded, “Number one, he had the legal authority to do it, but I fear you will get more violence. Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently, I think, was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do.”
His remarks quickly drew criticism from conservatives on social media.
“Another RINO that needs to go. Time for the next generation to step in. We need to vote them in,” one user wrote.
A user identified as @chicagopatty1, who describes themselves as a “First generation American,” posted, “The mistake is that Lindsey Graham is still in office.”
User @facedschiff added, “That man is a snake. Wake up people of SC.”
@JohnStrandUSA chimed in, saying, “Lindsey Graham is pretending he doesn’t know that most allegations of violence by protesters were false or dishonest & manipulated, and predicated on government entrapment and violent (even DEADLY) police brutality and misconduct. He does know—and he’s a scoundrel. VOTE HIM OUT.”
“MAGA” Trump supporter @JackiBr16652825 declared, “Who cares what Lindsey Graham likes. Most of us don’t like him.”
Meanwhile, Georgia GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk disclosed that House Speaker Mike Johnson assured him that his investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol will be “formalized as a new committee.”
This move is part of the broader Republican strategy to continue investigations launched in the last Congress, now that they have control over both houses of Congress and the White House.
Loudermilk told CNN that while the exact structure of the new committee is still being developed, one possibility is that Johnson will have more control over selecting members for the panel, known as a “select committee,” and shaping its operation.
The new committee aims to emphasize Loudermilk’s previous work, including a report that suggested former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney should be investigated by the FBI. This effort helps maintain the Republican narrative that seeks to shield former President Trump from direct responsibility for the January 6 violence.
“It was so singularly focused that basically Trump created this entire problem,” Loudermilk said, referring to the former January 6 select committee led by Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney. “When in reality, it was a multitude of failures at different levels.”
Johnson has publicly committed to ensuring that the renewed investigation into January 6 will be “fully funded” and progress under the new Congress.
CNN recently reported, “Continuing its investigation into the previous January 6 select committee – which featured Cheney as a vice chair and had another Republican member – and broader security response to the Capitol attack is not the only way Republicans plan to use their new majority to carry over their previous investigations that remain politically charged.”
The report also highlighted that “Republicans re-issued subpoenas related to special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents and two Justice Department tax investigators who worked on the Hunter Biden case on Monday, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.” These subpoenas continue legal battles that began in the previous Congress and remain unresolved.