Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham urged President Donald Trump Sunday not to pardon the Capitol rioters because it “would be wrong” and would destroy what’s left of his presidency.
“To seek a pardon of these people would be wrong, I think it would destroy President Trump and I hope we don’t go down that road,” Graham told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“There are a lot of people urging the president to pardon those who participated in defiling the Capitol — the rioters,” Graham continued. (RELATED: Rep. McClintock: ‘If We Had Prosecuted BLM And Antifa … With The Same Determination,’ Capitol Riot Might Not Have Happened)
“I don’t care if you went and spread flowers on the floor, you breached the security of the Capitol, you interrupted a joint session of Congress, you tried to intimidate us all — you should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Graham said.
The senator insisted Trump’s “policies will stand the test of time” and assured Trump that he’s “the most important figure of the Republican Party.” Graham said it was time for the president to “shape the direction of the party” and to “keep your movement alive.”
He maintained that the president did not incite anyone to breach security at the Capitol building. “They chose to go in that Capitol … That was the choice they made and they need to live with that choice.”
Although the senator agreed the 2020 presidential election had “irregularities in mail-in voting,” he said, “the election is over. The Electoral College certified the elections.”
Graham said although he remains “disappointed in the outcome” and wished that Trump had won, it’s important now to remember that Trump’s “movement is not about violence. It’s about peace, it’s about policy.”
“It is now time to move on. To Joe Biden: you talk about unifying the country — if you do not stand up against the impeachment of President Trump after he leaves office, you’re an incredibly weak figure.”
On Jan. 6, a Trump rally turned into a riot as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building after the president told the crowd, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. We will never give up, we will never concede.”
The rioter forced members of Congress to seek safety while five people were killed. (RELATED: REPORT: McConnell Believes Trump Committed Impeachable Offenses)
Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump gather near the east front door of the U.S. Capitol after groups breached the building’s security on Jan. 06, 2021.
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach Trump — for the second time — for inciting insurrection.
Ten House Republicans voted to impeach Trump, led by Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. According to one report, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is considering voting for impeachment if and when the upper chamber considers the issue.