Lindsey Graham threatens Democrats: If you call even one witness for impeachment trial, we’ll open up ‘Pandora’s box’
He threatened to call the FBI to testify
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) warned Democratic colleagues Monday night that if they decide to call even one witness in the Senate’s upcoming impeachment trial against former President Trump, they’ll be opening up “Pandora’s Box.”
Last month, the Democrat-controlled House voted to impeach Trump a second time for “incitement of insurrection” after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 while Congress was in session. The process has now moved to the Senate, where a trial is set to begin next week.
Graham, the outgoing chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed that he looks forward to a speedy trial and acquittal of Trump. But he noted that should Democrats choose to turn it into a “political commercial” and prolong the business for “weeks and months” by calling witnesses, Republicans are prepared to play ball by calling the FBI to testify about security failures at the U.S. Capitol.
“If you open up that can of worms [by calling witnesses], we’ll want the FBI to come in and tell us about how people actually pre-planned these attacks and what happened with the security footprint at the Capitol,” Graham said.
“You open up Pandora’s box if you call one witness,” he continued. “I hope we don’t call any and we vote and get this trial over next week when it starts.”
