Lindsey Graham slams Adam Schiff over ‘dangerous’ impeachment tactics

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham has accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of using ‘dangerous’ tactics in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.  

Graham attacked California Democratic Rep Schiff during an interview with Fox News on Sunday as the South Carolina Republican prepares to lead likely impeachment proceedings in the Senate.  

He accused Schiff of acting with a partisan agenda, noting that previous investigations were led by special counsels rather than members of Congress.  

‘Adam Schiff is doing a lot of damage to the country,’ Graham said. ‘And he needs to stop.’

Graham accused Schiff (pictured) of acting with a partisan agenda during the House impeachment proceedings, noting that previous investigations were led by special counsels rather than members of Congress

Graham specifically criticized Schiff for subpoenaing and releasing phone calls between former Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-California) and Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani associate Lev Parnass and journalist John Solomon.  

‘I think it’s dangerous,’ Graham said.  

‘Here’s what I would tell Adam Schiff: Do you really want to start calling other members, Republican members of Congress in oversight? Do you want me to call you to the Senate as part of Senate oversight?’

Graham added that he has no intention of subpoenaing Schiff in Senate proceedings.

‘I’m not going to participate in things I think will destroy the country,’ he said. 

‘We’re not going to turn the Senate into a circus.’  

Graham specifically criticized Schiff for subpoenaing and releasing phone calls between former Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (pictured), a Republican congressman from California, and Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani associate Lev Parnass and journalist John Solomon

Graham said he intends to expedite the Senate trial – which would likely begin in the new year – ‘for the good of the country’.  

‘Here’s what I’m going to do with the trial: I’m going to try to get it over as quickly as possible, listen to the House case — let them present their case,’ he said. 

‘If there’s nothing new and dramatic, I would be ready to vote, and we can do all this other stuff in congressional oversight.

He continued: ‘When 51 of us say we’ve heard enough, the trial is going to end. The president’s going to be acquitted.’ 

Graham said his handling of the proceedings may be a little different from what President Trump would want. 

‘[Trump] may want to call Schiff. He may want to call Hunter Biden. He may want to call Joe Biden. But here’s my advice to the president: if the Senate is ready to vote and acquit you, you should celebrate that,’ he said. 

‘We can look at this other stuff outside of impeachment. Impeachment is tearing the country apart. I don’t want to give it any more credibility than it deserves.’

Graham said he intends to expedite the Senate impeachment trial – which would likely begin in the new year – ‘for the good of the country’, noting that he does not intend to call some witnesses that President Trump (pictured) may want to hear from