Last week Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell partly blamed President Trump's fiery rhetoric on the deadly Capitol Hill riots. At his rally before the city became a powder keg, Trump predicted that his audience would "soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard" against the presidential election results. He added that they would "fight like hell." Of course he couldn't have known how violent things would get, but soon enough thousands of attendees forced their way into the Capitol building. Five people died in the wake of the chaos, including a Capitol police officer. And the rioters managed to interrupt Congress's electoral college certification.
In his analysis of the riots, the majority leader said that the mob had been “fed lies” and “provoked by the president” en route to causing havoc at the Capitol.
“The last time the Senate convened, we had just reclaimed the Capitol from violent criminals who tried to stop Congress from doing our duty," McConnell said on the Senate floor on Tuesday. "This mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people."
Fox News anchor Bret Baier pressed his guest Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) about McConnell's remarks.
"Yeah, I don't agree with him," Graham quickly said. "That would be a crime, to provoke somebody to incite violence. Show me the clip where he did that."
"But he is in my view giving some legitimacy to this impeachment process that I think is wrong," @LindseyGrahamSC said of @senatemajldr. pic.twitter.com/TBMb7xWji8
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 20, 2021
Graham added that he thinks McConnell has been a good leader who has acted as a formidable foil to Chuck Schumer..."but he is, in my view, giving some legitimacy to this impeachment process that I think is wrong."
Impeachment, Graham warned, is "a political exercise that will further divide the country."