Graham: Without Nat’l Security Reason, Flynn Unmasking Spying, Eavesdropping on a Political Opponent

Thursday on “Fox & Friends,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) explained why the revelation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s unmasking appears to be nothing less than “spying” on a political opponent.

According to the South Carolina Republican, the national security justification for the unmasking of Flynn was not apparent. Thus, Graham argued it appeared to be motivated by politics, which he called “chilling.”

“You can request an unmasking of an American citizen who’s on the other end of a conversation with a foreign agent, but you have to have a national security reason,” he said. “Here’s the concern — that if you don’t have a national security reason, you’re basically spying or eavesdropping on a political opponent. They hated Flynn. They wanted him to be fired before he ever got the job. Was this an effort to undermine Flynn, or was it really about our national security?”

“I talk to foreign leaders all the time about my differences with Obama foreign policy,” Graham continued. “When President Trump wanted to withdraw from Syria, I got on the phone and talked to about everybody in the Mideast. If I find out they’re listening to my conversation and reporting back to the White House what I’m saying to foreign leaders, that violates separation of powers. This is a big deal. What is the national security reason to unmask General Flynn in transition? I can’t think of one. But I do believe, given their behavior, they’re looking to get rid of Flynn. And if they used our intelligence apparatus to basically act on a political vendetta, that’s chilling to every American and would be very wrong.”

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