Graham says Trump not a spy: ‘This is not espionage’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday firmly defended former President Trump, calling a federal indictment centering on the Espionage Act “absolutely ridiculous,” reiterating several times that Trump was not a spy.

“Donald Trump — you may hate his guts, but he is not a spy. He did not commit espionage,” Graham told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.”

Graham reflected what many in the GOP did while making the rounds on the Sunday morning political shows by comparing the Trump investigation to that of former Democratic presidential nominee and 2016 Trump opponent Hillary Clinton.

“President Trump will have his day in court,” Graham said. “But espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous. Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit espionage. He did not disseminate, leak or provide information to a foreign power or to a news organization to damage this country. He is not a spy. He’s overcharged. Did he do things wrong? Yes, he may have. He will be tried about that. But Hillary Clinton wasn’t.”

When Stephanopoulos interjected to make the point that Clinton was fully investigated before federal prosecutors decided not to bring forth charges against her, Graham responded: “Yeah, right” and “Give me a break.”

Graham said that most Republicans believe there is a “double standard” when it comes to Trump. He reiterated that the indictment of Trump is not going to change his support for the former president.

“But I promise you this, most Americans believe — most Republicans believe that the law is used as a weapon against Donald Trump,” he added.

When Stephanopoulos asked if it was OK that Trump was recorded saying that he knew the documents he held on to and shared with people without security clearance were not declassified, Graham acknowledged that “none of this is okay.”

“I would like to review the system, but here’s the point I’m trying to make — what’s happening in Manhattan with Donald Trump has never happened to anybody in the history of New York,” he said referring to the first indictment Trump faces involving a hush money probe. “I think the espionage charges are completely wrong and I think they paint an impression that doesn’t exist. This is not espionage.”

The Justice Department charged Trump in a 37-count indictment last week over his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, and the charges hold several decades of prison time. Evidence collected by the Justice Department found that Trump possessed documents that contained nuclear and military secrets, stored them improperly and shared the information with aides who had no security clearance.