Senate

Graham: When I die God isn’t going to ask ‘Why didn’t you convict Trump?’

by Justine Coleman - 02/06/20 4:59 PM ET

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that when he dies, God isn’t going to ask him why he didn’t convict President Trump.

The South Carolina senator told Fox News’s “Brian Kilmeade Show“ that he used his God-given “common sense” to decide to acquit the president in the “easiest decision I ever had to make.”

“It was politically driven, it was driven by people who are not looking for the truth,” he said. “They hate Trump, they were gonna impeach him the day he got elected and if you can’t see through this, you know, your religion is clouding your thinking here.”

Graham was responding to Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-Utah) reference to his religion in his announcement of his decision to convict President Trump on the abuse of power charge.

“When I go to meet God at the pearly gates I don’t think he’s going to ask me, ‘Why didn’t you convict Trump?’” Graham said. “I may be wrong, but I don’t think that’s gonna be at the top of the list. I’ll have a lot to answer for, but this was clearly an effort to destroy Trump.”

The senator also added he likes Romney and has “always liked him.”

“I appreciate the fact that he’s helped the Republican agenda,” he said. “He’s going to help us continue to build up the military, cut taxes and reform the government, I hope.”

Romney has been facing a slew of backlash from GOP lawmakers and the president after becoming the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on a charge. The senator seemed to choke up during his announcement.

“I am a profoundly religious person. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced,” he said.

Trump was ultimately acquitted of both articles of impeachment after the inquiry and trial had taken over Washington for months. The president celebrated his acquittal Thursday, holding up a newspaper with the front-page headline declaring him not guilty.