Graham: GOP would suffer if Trump cut off Mueller
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday night that he has told President Donald Trump that ending the special counsel investigation of Robert Mueller would undermine GOP chances in November.
The South Carolina Republican, who played golf Sunday with Trump in New Jersey and discussed several issues with the president, was asked about the investigation of Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election at a Monday evening event hosted by the Greenville County Republican Party.
“Did Trump ask that question? He must have mentioned that about 20 times,” Graham quipped in response to an audience question about ending the Mueller probe.
Graham said that his message to Trump was in part about the reality of what Republicans could face in November if the Mueller probe is compromised by the actions of the Trump administration or congressional Republicans.
“I want to win in November. If we stop the Mueller probe tomorrow, you wouldn’t be able to talk about anything else,” Graham said. “I told the president this: ‘I promise you, you’ll be treated fairly. I promise you that the people who put the Clinton investigation in the tank, they’re going to have their day, too.’
“So I’m going to let Mueller do his job, and we’ll see what he finds. But Mueller’s not in charge of looking at the FISA warrant application, he’s not in charge of overseeing the FBI. What they did during the 2016 election on behalf of Clinton appalls me.
“There’s a good chance I’ll be Judiciary chairman if we hold the Senate next year. If I’m Judiciary chairman? Stay tuned,” Graham said.