Sen. Lindsey Graham is concerned that the looming possibility of an indictment from the Manhattan DA is messing with former president Donald Trump’s emotional state.
Speaking on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Tonight” on Wednesday, the Republican from South Carolina and Senate Judiciary Committee member said that he recently spoke with Trump and found him to be “sad.”
“He does believe they’re trying to ruin his life,” Graham said. “He does believe it’s never ending.”
The prompt came Wednesday as host Jesse Watters and Graham discussed the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Trump’s alleged hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels using campaign funds in 2016. It’s been widely expected that the Manhattan DA was to meet and conclude its opinion this week, which could well lead to an indictment for the former president.
Trump, meanwhile, declared Saturday that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday. When an arrest stalled past his prediction, reports still indicated that behind closed doors he was making light of the situation and hoping to make his indictment a media spectacle.
But on Thursday, Trump continued to spout protest on Truth Social. In an all-caps post, he said, “Everybody knows I’m 100% innocent … Our country is being destroyed as they tell us to be peaceful!”
“This is no legal system, this is the Gestapo, this is Russia and China, but worse,” he added of the ongoing deliberation. “Disgraceful!”
Watters asked Graham Wednesday how Trump is “feeling about this deal” and whether or not they’ve spoken, which Graham confirmed they had.
“Well, I think he is sad,” Graham said. “This is the only, this case is the only case in New York history, New York City history where they use the laws as they’re using now against president Trump. He does believe they’re trying to ruin his life. He does believe it’s never ending. It’s all about destroying him because they’re afraid of him running successfully as president.”
Later in the interview, Watters asked the senator where he thinks the case is headed and what it means for Trump in the future. Graham indicated that he agreed with Trump that it very well may be a “never ending” situation.
“I think you’re gonna see an unending, unfolding series of legal challenges to President Trump that will have a backlash to the public writ large,” Graham said. “He is stronger today than he was last week because most Republicans and fair-minded people see this as an overreach. This is an effort to destroy him politically. It’s not based on solid evidence. It’s based on a vindictive spirit toward Trump and New York and other places.
“I think what happens here is that President Trump will be stronger at the end of the day, but the damage done to the law may last for decades,” Graham continued. “We’re setting a precedent here that it doesn’t matter how you get somebody you don’t like, there are no rules when it comes to Donald Trump. And what I fear is that that will turn into no rules toward anybody in the future that you don’t like.”
Watch Graham’s full “Jesse Watters Tonight” interview in the video above.
