First Lady Melania Trump was among the fans of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s finger-pointing denunciation of Democrats during Thursday’s emotional hearing of assault accusations against Brett Kavanaugh.
Graham helped turn the narrative of the hearing when he tore into Democrats, accusing them of brazen politics for their efforts to hear from Kavanaugh’s accuser, get an FBI investigation, and delay his confirmation.
‘What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat hope and hope you win in 2020,’ Graham thundered, rallying colleagues just minutes after emotional testimony by Christine Blasey Ford appeared to imperil Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
Graham told ‘Fox and Friends’ Friday morning that he had a ‘long’ conversation with Trump, who has become a golf partner and political confidant even after trashing Graham during the presidential campaign.
First Lady Melania Trump was ‘very proud’ of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s emotional defense of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham angrily defended Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday in an impassioned address
‘He was very complimentary, and he said Melania said please to tell me he was very proud of the fact I pushed back and stood up [for] this good man, and that meant a lot to me that the first lady felt that way,’ Graham said.
Graham also made light references to the time during the campaign when Trump read out his personal cell phone number at a campaign rally. It came up after Graham was reportedly ‘doxxed’ when someone using a House computer edited his Wikipedia page and put personal information on the Internet.
‘And I said I’ve got a new number, you didn’t give this number out. So yeah I got a new number and a bunch of people beat on my door last night so it was a bit of a long night,’ Graham said.
He was low-key about the apparent doxxing. ‘That’s alright. I told the president: I’m going to give you my number, the new one. Just hang onto it.’
Graham continued his tear against Democrats – a tactic the embattled nominee himself launched by accusing Democrats of a ‘conspiracy’ he cast as revenge for the impeachment of Bill Clinton.
‘What was done to Kavanaugh was planned, orchestrated politics at its worst. The accusations are just offend my sensibilities. I want women to be heard but I will not be played and I will not have my intelligence insulted,’ Graham fumed.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham angrily defended Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday, charging Democrats with using a Supreme Court nomination to try to win the midterm elections and saying Kavanaugh was no Bill Cosby.
Graham, who has been one of Kavanaugh’s biggest defenders in the Senate, pounded on his desk, tossed papers and yelled at his Democratic colleagues across the dais, ending his tirade with a dramatic plea to his GOP colleagues to vote for Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
The outburst was an instant viral moment for conservatives – with two of Donald Trump’s most senior aides tweeting their approval.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s press secretary tweeted: ‘Lindsey Graham has more decency and courage than every Democrat on the committee combined. God bless him.’
He argued if Kavanaugh was the type of sexual predator as he’s been charged with, he would probably still be attacking women.
‘You’re supposed to be Bill Cosby when you’re a junior and senior in high school, and all of a sudden you got over it. It’s been my understanding that if you drug women and rape them for two years in high school, you probably don’t stop,’ he said.
What does Trump think? Two of the president’s most senior female aides offered some insight into what direction he will take on Kavanaugh, after a morning and early afternoon watching Christine Blasey Ford being called a credible witness by conservative commentators
Explosion: An emotional Lindsey Graham made himself an instant hero to conservatives as he attacked Democrats, accusing them of painting Brett Kavanaugh like ‘Bill Cosby’
Finger pointing: ‘What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat hope and hope you win in 2020. You’ve said that,’ Lindsey Graham yelled, pointing at the Democrats on the other side of the table
Nominee: Lindsey Graham pointed towards Brett Kavanaugh as he angrily addressed Democrats accusing them of portraying the nominee as a sex criminal
Tearing up: Brett Kavanaugh appeared emotional as he listened to Lindsey Graham’s attack on Democrats
Graham interrupted prosecutor Rachel Mitchell’s questioning of Ford to requested time to speak.
He then promptly used it to lash out at Kavanaugh’s treatment at the hand of Democrats, saying President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee had been put through hell.
‘This is not a job interview. This is hell. This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap!’ he said. ‘You have interacted with professional women all your life, not one accusation.’
He also charged Democrats with playing politics with Kavanaugh’s career in the hopes of winning control of the Senate in the 2018 midterms and then winning the 2020 presidential election for their party.
‘What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat hope and hope you win in 2020. You’ve said that,’ he yelled.
He also said Democrats used Ford for their own political purposes and that she was their victim – as was Kavanaugh.
‘Boy, y’all want power. Boy, I hope you never get it. I hope the American people can see through this sham, that you knew about it and you held it. You had no intention of protecting Dr. Ford, none! She’s as much of a victim as you are,’ he noted.
He pivoted between yelling at Democrats and praising Kavanaugh, telling him he belonged on the court.
America’s fallen father: The claim that Democrats are trying to compare Brett Kavanaugh to Bill Cosby came on the week that the comedian unmasked as a violent sexual predator was jailed
‘When you see Sotomayor and Kagan tell them that Lindsey said hi because I voted for them,’ he said referring to Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
‘I would never do to them what you’ve done to this guy! This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics, and if you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn’t have done what you have done to this guy,’ he said, returning to release his ire on Democrats.
Graham also apologized to Kavanaugh, saying the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing wasn’t the place for a fair process.
‘God, I hate to say it because these have been my friends, but let me tell you when it comes to this. You’re looking for a fair process. You came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend,’ he said.
Graham concluded his remarks with a plea to his colleagues to confirm Kavanaugh and get in a few final shots at Democrats.
‘To my Republican colleagues, if you vote no, you’re legitimizing the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics. You want this seat. I hope you never get it. I hope you’re on the Supreme Court. That’s exactly where you should be. And I hope that the American people will see through this charade. And I wish you well. And I intend to vote for you and I hope everybody who is fair-minded will,’ he concluded.
Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who was up next for questions, offered a bit of light heartedness.
‘Should we let things settle a little bit after that,’ he said.