Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is advising Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to hold a vote to dismiss the article of impeachment against President Donald Trump if he wants to prevent more division among Americans.
“In your first act as Majority Leader, rather than begin the national healing that the country so desperately yearns for, you seek vengeance and political retaliation instead,” Graham said in a letter he wrote to Schumer.
He added, “While the Vice President and Senate Republicans rejected unconstitutional actions, you seek to force upon the Senate, what would itself be but one more unconstitutional action in this disgraceful saga—the impeachment trial of a former president.”
Graham explained the purpose of the power of impeachment.
“The impeachment power exists to protect the Nation from the harm that an incumbent president might inflict upon the Nation were he to remain in office, not to vindicate political grievances after a president has left office,” Graham continued.
Read the letter below:
My letter to Democratic Leader Schumer.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 17, 2021
The Senate should vote to dismiss the article of impeachment once it is received in the Senate. We will be delaying indefinitely, if not forever, the healing of this great Nation if we do otherwise. pic.twitter.com/fjVcf7iVPf
Graham stressed to Schumer moving forward with impeachment proceedings of a former president is “as unwise as it is unconstitutional.”
He called on Schumer to hold a vote to dismiss the article.
“We will be delaying indefinitely, if not forever, the healing of this great Nation if we do otherwise. Our obligation to the People we represent is clear. History will judge us harshly, as it should, if we do not rise to the occasion of this historic moment in our history,” Graham concluded.
For the second time on Wednesday, the House impeached Trump on the charge of “incitement of insurrection,” as IJR previously reported.
Advisers had to reportedly discourage Trump from going to the House floor to defend himself, as IJR previously reported.
“Advisers said that Mr. Trump had to be dissuaded from going to the House floor to try to defend himself during Wednesday’s impeachment proceedings,” The New York Times reported.
