Lindsey Graham Calls Out Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons as a ‘Mistake’ on Meet the Press: ‘I Fear That You Will Get More Violence’

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — a longtime defender of President Donald Trump’s — called out the move to issue blanket pardons for those charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Appearing on Meet the Press, Graham — like other Republican critics of the pardons — drew an equivalency between Trump’s blanket Jan. 6 pardons, and former President Joe Biden for pardoning his family members just minutes before leaving office.

“He had the legal authority to do it,” Graham said of Trump’s pardons. “But I fear that 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 okay thing to do.”

Graham added, “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, that we’ll revisit the pardon power of the president if this continues. But as to pardoning violent people who beat up cops, I think that’s a mistake.”

Moderator Kristen Welker followed up by asking about the message Trump sent to law enforcement by pardoning those who attacked officers.

“There’s really been no better supporter of law enforcement in general,” Graham said. “And there are a lot of people who supported President Trump. Law enforcement didn’t like this. But he said it during the campaign, he’s not tricking people. You know, Biden promised not to pardon his family; he did. Trump said, ‘I’m going to pardon these people.’ So the fact that he did it is no surprise. But I’ll be consistent here. I don’t like the idea of bailing people out of jail or pardoning people who burn down cities and beat up cops, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.

Watch above, via NBC.

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