Lindsey Graham Is A Loose Cannon

Lindsay Graham says he’ll make Putin “pay a price” for election interference

Brandon Morse December 7, 2016 9:27 pm

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) speaks with reporters in the Senate Press Gallery on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

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Democrats have been accusing Russia of helping along President-elect Trump’s campaign, but according to CNN, one particular Republican is also positive that Russia had a hand in making sure Clinton was kept out of office.

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina has stated that Russia “did interfere with our elections,” and has decided to take up his own investigation into the Wikileaks hacking. What’s more, Graham is none too pleased about Trump’s soft stance on the Russians, and has said he plans to make Putin “pay a price.”

The South Carolina Republican told CNN that he thinks “Trump should take a real tough tone with Russia, I think they’re one of the most destabilizing influences on the world stage.”

“It’s pretty clear to me that Wikileaks was designed to hurt (Democratic presidential nominee Hillary) Clinton and it could be us tomorrow,” Graham said, referring to published emails stolen from her campaign chairman and posted on the site.

“I’m going after Russia in every way you can go after Russia,” Graham said. Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added, “I want Putin personally to pay a price.”

Graham is of the same mind as Democrats such as Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, and California Rep. Eric Swalwell. The two are currently planning a commission to look into the legitimacy of the hacking threat.

Trump’s refusal to accept the unanimous assessment of all 17 US federal intelligence agencies, “people who are sworn to protect us and to provide the very best information” to the President “is troubling,” Cummings said.

The “Protecting Our Democracy Act” that Swalwell and Cummings introduced Wednesday calls for the creation of a 12-member, bipartisan, 18-month investigation into Russian hacking. It would operate with an initial budget of $3 million, have members from both parties and chambers of Congress, and issue a report at its conclusion recommending future security protections.

Trump has stated that these investigations are “politically motivated,” and believes that Russia did not at all interfere in the elections.