Comment Sen. Lindsey O. Graham said Sunday there will be “riots in the street” if former President Donald Trump is prosecuted for moving classified government documents to his private Mar-a-Lago home after leaving the White House. Graham (RS.C.) twice made the “riots in the street” remark during an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America” as he launched into a broader commentary against what he perceived to be a two-party justice system levels. the former president. “There’s a double standard when it comes to Trump,” Graham said, contrasting the FBI’s investigation into Mar-a-Lago with the agency’s investigation into his political opponents, including Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while he was secretary. of State, and President Biden’s son, Hunter. (Hunter Biden is under investigation for tax liabilities, although Graham and other Republicans regularly say the FBI should investigate his foreign business dealings.) Post Politics Now: Judge’s opening to special master on Mar-a-Lago documents raises new questions in criminal investigation “And I will say this: If there is a prosecution against Donald Trump for mishandling classified information after the Clinton debacle … there will be riots in the street,” Graham said. Graham’s comments drew criticism from critics who called Graham’s remarks “irresponsible” and “disgraceful”. In response to a question from the Washington Post, Graham’s spokesman, Kevin Bishop, described the senator’s comments as a “prediction/anticipation of what he thinks will happen.” Excerpts from the redacted affidavit used in the Mar-a-Lago search Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank, criticized Graham for his remarks on Twitter. “[Graham’s] “The prediction that violence may follow any prosecution of the former Potos may not legally qualify as incitement, but it is irresponsible as it will be seen by some as a call for violence,” he wrote. “Civil servants are obliged to demand the rule of law.” Others saw the senator’s words as more of a threat than a prediction. Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), a tea party supporter turned frequent Trump critic, called Graham “disgraceful” and a “coward,” tweeting that “threats of violence should NEVER stop her pursuit of justice. NEVER.” Trumpworld walks a line between predicting violence and threatening it Trump, meanwhile, tacitly endorsed Graham’s message, posting the Fox News interview without comment on his Truth Social platform late Sunday. Threats against the FBI have increased since the agents they searched Trump’s safe at his South Florida resort on August 8. The investigation led agents to recover a treasure trove of documents, many of them had “some of the most sensitive secrets we keep,” people involved in the investigation told The Post. The warrant authorizing the search of former President Donald Trump’s home said agents were looking for documents they possessed in violation of the Espionage Act. (Video: Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) The FBI investigation is the latest legal pressure on Trump, who is now facing increasing scrutiny as the criminal investigation intensifies. The investigation is looking into whether he or his former aides took classified government documents and stored them improperly or never returned them. Trump’s lawyer argued that the former president cooperated with federal authorities and that many of the documents were covered by executive privilege. In response, Republicans accused the agency, without evidence, of waging a political vendetta against Trump at the behest of Biden. What Could the Mar-a-Lago Quest Mean for Trump Legally? Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, told the Post this month that online messages supported the killing of FBI agents and that exaggerated rhetoric from conservatives warned that federal officials were “coming for you.” Days after the Mar-a-Lago document search, Navy veteran Ricky Shiffer was shot and killed following a police chase and standoff in Ohio, where he had tried to break into an FBI field office. Authorities investigating the case are trying to determine Shiffer’s motive. His name was used on several social media platforms, including Truth Social, which called for a “call to arms” following the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago investigation.
