Lindsey Graham: I Was ‘Beat on Every Day’ by Trump to Change Senate Rules

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday” that he was “beat on every day” by former President Donald Trump and his allies to try to change the rules in the Senate.

On Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) voting bill compromise, anchor Chris Wallace said, “If Republicans kill — if you vote as it appears you’re going to, to kill the Manchin version of voting rights, you’ve already, Republicans, voted to kill the bipartisan January 6th commission looking into the insurrection at the Capitol, do you run the risk that Manchin and a couple of other moderate senators will eventually say, ‘Look, bipartisanship isn’t working, and you know what? We’re not going to kill the filibuster, but we’re going to reduce the number of votes you need to stop a debate from 60 to 55?’ Do you run that risk?”

Graham said, “I hope not because I was in Joe Manchin’s shoes.”

He continued, “When we had the House, the Senate, and the White House under President Trump, I had a bunch of Democrats wanting to sign a letter with me protecting the filibuster. Every one of those Democrats have fled for the hills. So I was beat on every day. Why don’t you give in and agree with President Trump to change the rules so we can get the Trump agenda through? I said, no, I don’t think it would be good for the country. Never once did I go to Joe Manchin or any other Democrat and say, if you don’t do some of the things I want, I’m going to agree with Trump to change the rules.”

Graham added, “I’m not going to be extorted here. I’m asking no more of my Democrat colleagues than I ask of myself. It was very unpleasant to be beat on every day by the president of the United States, President Trump, and his allies to try to change the rules in the Senate to have their way. I said no because it’s bad for the Senate. I hope these Democrats understand it’s bad for the Senate to change the rules.”

He concluded, “I didn’t do that to them. I wish they wouldn’t do that to me.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN