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Lindsey Graham Attacks Trump

Senator Lindsey Graham expressed concerns about the use of presidential pardon power, suggesting that it might need to be limited if it continues to be misused. His comments came in response to controversial pardons issued by both former President Trump and President Biden, as well as actions by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Graham specifically criticized the pardoning of individuals involved in violent actions, stating, “I think pardoning people who beat up cops, pardoning people who killed two FBI agents like Biden did, and trying to raise bail for rioters in Minneapolis like Kamala Harris did, all send the wrong signal.”

He pointed to former President Trump’s blanket pardons, which included high-profile figures such as Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Tarrio, who had been unapologetic about his actions, called for accountability for their opponents, while Rhodes, after receiving a commutation for his 18-year sentence, appeared publicly with Trump at a rally in Las Vegas.

Graham also referenced President Biden’s recent commutation of Leonard Peltier’s life sentence. Peltier, an 80-year-old Native American activist convicted in 1977 of murdering two FBI agents, has long been a controversial figure. While his defenders argue he was wrongfully prosecuted, Graham highlighted this as another example of presidential pardons that could be seen as sending the wrong message.

The senator acknowledged that the power to pardon is rooted in the Constitution, which grants the president authority to issue pardons and reprieves, except in cases of impeachment. However, Graham warned that if this trend of controversial pardons continues, Congress might consider imposing limits on the presidential pardon power.

“I don’t like it on either side,” Graham remarked. “And I think the public doesn’t like it either. If this continues to become the norm, there could be an effort to rein in the pardon power of the president as an institution.”


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