Late Monday morning, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham took to his official campaign X account to state his opinion on day one of former GOP President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York City.
The MAGA Senator regurgitated the official party line—that holding a criminal who happens to be a politician accountable and subject to the same laws as their constituents will damage the Republican version of democracy. Laws for thee, not for me.
Graham shared a Fox News link captioned:
"The New York case is truly election interference."
"This spectacle put on by Manhattan's liberal DA, Alvin Bragg, is dangerous to the rule of law and the future of the presidency."
"It will do enormous damage to how the law is used in politics."
People were quick to agree with Graham.
Just not in the way he wanted.
Criminal defense attorney and former state and federal prosecutor Ron Filipkowski shared a screenshot of Graham's opening line: "The New York case is truly election interference."
Filipkowski captioned his X post:
"It is. The whole case is about how he illegally interfered with the 2016 election with a bribery and intimidation scheme."
Others concurred—the New York case absolutely is about election interference by Team Trump in the 2016 election.
The Fulton County, Georgia case will address some of Trump's 2020 election interference.
@LindseyGrahamSC I can\u2019t believe I need to say this to a U.S. sitting Senator, but\u2026\nIn America, we follow the rule of law. Trump is an accused criminal who is alleged to have committed multiple crimes. Now he faces a jury of his peers just as any American would, and as you will in Georgia. \u2b07\ufe0f— (@)
People questioned Graham's concern for the rule of law and the future of democracy versus his deep concern for the future of Lindsey Graham in a MAGA-controlled GOP.
@LindseyGrahamSC Yes, it is election interference. Trump illegally used bribery and blackmail to interfere in the 2016 election. Why do you constantly lie & gaslight America about Trump\u2019s crimes? Trump will release whatever blackmail he has on you when you are of no use to him. You\u2019re a traitor!— (@)
As of March 2024, Trump faced 91 felony counts in two state courts and in two different federal prosecutorial districts. If convicted, prison is a distinct possible outcome.
Trump already lost a civil suit for financial fraud in New York and a pair of defamation judgments for lies he told before, during and after his one term as President.
Although Trump was a political and public service neophyte, he was an old hand with legal woes.
From the 1970s until he was elected to his first and only public office as President of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump and his various businesses and charitable foundations were involved in over 4,000 legal cases in both federal and state courts.
They included lawsuits from casino patrons, million-dollar real estate deals gone wrong, defamation lawsuits, failure to pay contractors, misappropriation of funds from Trump family charitable foundations, business fraud, failure to pay employees or his business' bills, housing discrimination targeting Black people and over 100 business tax disputes.
Trump has also been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault multiple times.
Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social)
@SenTinaSmith/X; @elonmusk/X
@smith.senate.gov/BlueSky
@elonmusk/X
@mcrs987/X
