Graham Says Pelosi Delaying Impeachment Articles in Senate Amounts to ‘Constitutional Extortion’

Senator Lindsey Graham on Thursday slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s threat to delay sending the articles of impeachment passed Wednesday to the Senate, saying the decision would amount to “constitutional extortion.”

“Not allowing the Senate to act on approved Articles of Impeachment becomes Constitutional extortion and creates chaos for the presidency,” Graham wrote on Twitter. “It also sets in motion a tremendous threat to our Constitutional system of checks and balances.”

The House on Wednesday evening approved two articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, against President Trump, with only three Democrats voting against at least one of the articles and all Republicans voting against impeachment.

Pelosi must now deliver the articles to the Republican-controlled Senate for a trial but has not committed to doing so until the Senate Republicans agree to Democrats’ conditions for a fair trial.

Such a move by Democrats would be a “breathtaking violation of the Constitution, an act of political cowardice, and fundamentally unfair to President,” Graham charged.

“What is driving this crazy idea?” the South Carolina Republican continued, calling the charges agaisnt the president a “very weak case” which “never should have been brought forward.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell outraged Democrats when he pledged last week that the Senate will be in “total coordination” with the White House on the impeachment process.

“The case is so darn weak coming over from the House,” McConnell said. “I’m going to take my cues from the president’s lawyers.”

A frustrated Trump also weighed in on Pelosi’s warning to delay the Senate trial.

“Now the Do Nothing Party want to Do Nothing with the Articles & not deliver them to the Senate, but it’s Senate’s call!” Trump wrote Thursday in a tweet.