Graham defends opposition to Jan 6 pardons after Trump calls him a 'RINO'
By Caroline Vakil - 02/02/22 11:26 AM EST
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Wednesday defended his stance against offering pardons to Jan. 6, 2021, defendants a day after former President Trump called him a “RINO,” an acronym that means “Republican In Name Only.”
“I stand with the police officers who protect our streets, federal courthouses, and the United States Capitol against rioters. They deserve our respect and support and I will not second-guess the decisions they made under dire circumstances,” the senator said in a statement.
However, he emphasized that Americans needed to have a unified voice against “politically motivated violence.”
“All Americans are entitled to have a speedy trial and their day in court, but those who actively engage in violence for whatever political cause must be held accountable and not be forgiven,” Graham said.
The remarks from Graham follow comments that Trump made during an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday night. Trump was responding to an interview that Graham did last weekend on CBS’s “Face the Nation” in which he called it “inappropriate” to offer pardons to the defendants of the Jan. 6 riot — an idea floated by Trump at a rally.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/592462-graham-defends-opposition-to-jan-6-pardons-after-trump-calls-him-a-rino