Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday he thinks it was a “mistake” for President Donald Trump to pardon those who committed violence against law enforcement officials during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Trump issued nearly 1,600 pardons for Jan. 6 defendants on Monday after he was sworn into office. Trump’s blanket pardon drew condemnation from police who battled the mob during the Capitol attack, their families and lawmakers, including some of the president’s fellow Republicans.
Graham argued that while Trump has the legal authority to issue pardons, he feared the move could inspire “more violence” in the country.
“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,” Graham told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.
It’s not the first time Graham has publicly split with Trump, though he remains one of the president’s most vocal supporters.
The South Carolina lawmaker didn’t only criticize members of his own party on Sunday. He also knocked former President Joe Biden for pardoning his family members, including his brother James, in his final hours of office. The former president said he feared politically motivated investigations into his relatives.
“You know, Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most Americans, if this continues, to see this as an abuse of the pardon power… But as to pardoning violent people who beat up cops, I think that’s a mistake,” Graham said.
